


some things never change

by love_killed_the_superstar



Series: it's our happily ever after, after all [3]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Bisexual Eugene (Disney: Tangled), Bisexual Lance (Disney: Tangled), Bisexual Rapunzel (Disney), F/F, Frozen in Tangled Week (Disney), Gen, Lesbian Cassandra (Disney: Tangled), M/M, Multi, Past Relationship(s), Poly-V, Polyamory, Post-Canon, Uknighted Dream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:22:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 19,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26825812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/love_killed_the_superstar/pseuds/love_killed_the_superstar
Summary: #5 // “So,” King Frederic says, scrutinising the four of them, “what on earth were the four of you doing all the way in the north woods?”Rapunzel figures it’s a little ridiculous, being delivered to her father by a small army of dishevelled guards, looking like a drowned rat, while their captain shivers just as pathetically beside her. Cass and Lance exchange concerned looks, no doubt trying to cook up an explanation for their peculiar adventure without incriminating themselves, when Rapunzel opens her mouth first.“We got lost,” blurts out Rapunzel.Frederic raises his eyebrows.“Lost,” he repeats.“Lost,” Eugene echoes solemnly. “In the woods.”“Lost in the woods,” Cass agrees.(A collection of ficlets for Frozen in Tangled Week 2020.)
Relationships: Cassandra/Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider & Lance Strongbow, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Lance Strongbow, Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel, Uknighted Dream - Relationship
Series: it's our happily ever after, after all [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833451
Comments: 26
Kudos: 126





	1. for the first time in forever

**Author's Note:**

> So we back at it again with the fic week prompts! This time they’re Frozen-themed! That said, I’m taking a more abstract approach and just using the song titles as prompt enough. So they… aren’t really related to the songs themselves, but hey, I can never refuse a good fic week even when I'm too busy to write. These are set in the same post-series ot3 universe as my other fic weeks!  
> Day 1 is 'For The First Time In Forever'. Fic is named in honour of my favourite song from the Frozen franchise because it is best song, don't try n fight me.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #1 // “If you think Cass will care that you have a creased collar or a hair out of place,” Eugene says nonchalantly, “you’re forgetting that this is the girl who ran around the woods with uncombed hair for an entire year when she had the moonstone.”  
> “Eugene!”  
> “And the girl who has been travelling the world with only three changes of clothes for the past… how many years now? Personal hygiene is a stretch for her, let alone keeping up an immaculate appearance.”  
> “She’ll have cleaned up for the occasion,” Rapunzel argues. Eugene pauses.  
> “Y’know what, that’s true,” he muses. “When Cass cleans up, she cleans up good.”

Rapunzel reaches into her clutch purse for a compact mirror, examining her reflection with worry.

“Sunshine, that’s the fifth time you’ve adjusted your collar in the last ten minutes,” Eugene points out. “Don’t tell me, we’re finally matched in vanity?”

“Oh, I don’t think  _ that’s _ possible,” she laughs, staring at herself for a moment longer before shutting the compact again. “I just… want to look my best. Is that really so left-field, for a future queen?”

“It’s left-field for  _ you. _ You already have the seven kingdoms wrapped around your finger, you don’t need to impress anybody.”

She goes to retort, but falls short. Instead, she turns to stare out of the window at the landscape moving around them. The carriage they’re in moves at a steady pace, slower than they would drive during their caravan days, and she itches to climb onto the driver’s seat herself and take the reins just so they can get to the summit a little sooner. For the first time, Ingvarr, a relatively private kingdom, is opening its gates to the seven kingdoms for a royal wedding. As far as Rapunzel knows, it’s because the bride-to-be of Wulfrun, the youngest Ingvarrian princess, is a Koto native. Unsurprisingly, in typical Koto fashion, the entire event has rapidly turned into a publicity circus.

Rapunzel has only visited the kingdom twice, on official business with her father, and he prefers to travel through Ingvarr territory during the night hours so they’re well rested by the time they arrive at the palace gates. The rolling hills leading into rocky mountain ranges are a sight she’s only ever seen under the cover of darkness, so it really  _ is  _ interesting to see now as the sun rises a little higher in the sky and the pinks of sunrise fade to blue… but not as interesting as her reflection, as she goes to once again check that her collar isn’t crooked and she hasn’t had a sudden breakout on her face in the last minute or so.

“Rapunzel, enough.” Eugene whisks the mirror from her hands before she has the chance to inspect herself once more. “What’s this actually about, huh? Nobody at this wedding will be looking at us, so who cares if there’s a hair of two out of place? While I’m normally all about preening, this is beginning to get obsessive.”

Rapunzel huffs in frustration and smooths back her hair, hands lingering at her neck.

“I’m  _ nervous, _ Eugene.”

“Nervous? Sunshine, we won’t be  _ doing  _ anything. All we have to do is greet them with smiles, drop off our gift, sit through the ceremony and then get stinking drunk at the reception. You know, typical royal duties.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about! Eugene, it’s the first time in forever that we’re seeing  _ her,” _ she mutters. “How can I not be nervous?”

“Ahh.” He nods sagely. “Her. Okay, now it’s all making sense.”

_ Cassandra. _ Cassandra, whom they dropped off at the port in Galcrest as their honeymoon drew to a close six months ago. Cassandra, who when asked to return to Corona with them (maybe even begged, Rapunzel is embarrassed to admit), simply said, “There’s still so much out there for me.”

It was so hard waving goodbye to her as the boat pulled away, watching her figure grow smaller and smaller until it was lost to the horizon, and for all that Rapunzel has tried to put her mind at ease, and tell herself Cass is fine and it’s a  _ good  _ thing that she’s charting her own course… waking up without her still stings bittersweet.

But a letter arrived last week, and in amongst the rambling about some unusual fish she caught for supper, something that lifted Rapunzel’s spirits immensely.

_ I’ll probably see you in Ingvarr for that wedding thing. Put my name on the registry gift to be safe, I don’t think they’ll appreciate whatever I end up bringing. _

She pulls out the letter and her eyes flit over the page once more, just to confirm once more that she hasn’t imagined the promise of reunion.

“It hasn’t actually been as long as you think,” Eugene tries to assure her, with a lopsided smile that on any other day she’d happily kiss. “Things haven’t really changed! You’re still you, I’m still me, and Cass… is still writing you cryptic letters, so I’d bet anything she hasn’t changed a bit either.”

Rapunzel sighs and lowers her head, folding the letter up and placing it safely back in her clutch. “You’re right. I don’t know why I’m… this is all ridiculous, I know.”

He puts an arm around her and pulls her in close.

“If you think Cass will care that you have a creased collar or a hair out of place,” he continues nonchalantly, “you’re forgetting that this is the girl who ran around the woods with uncombed hair for an entire  _ year  _ when she had the moonstone.”

“Eugene!”

“And the girl who has been travelling the world with only three changes of clothes for the past… how many years now? Personal hygiene is a stretch for her, let alone keeping an immaculate appearance.”

“She’ll have cleaned up for the occasion,” Rapunzel argues. Eugene pauses.

“Y’know what, that’s true,” he muses. “When Cass cleans up, she cleans up good.”

That she does. Rapunzel wonders what she’s going to wear. She packs lightly on the road, and any of the suits Rapunzel had tailored for her during their honeymoon ended up returning to Corona with them. Maybe she’s had something entirely new made, and Rapunzel is in for a pleasant surprise? Or maybe she’s planning on showing up as she always does, in adventure clothes and cape, uncaring of what the people at this Ingvarr-Koto fusion wedding think?

“Did we pack clothes for her?!” Rapunzel asks suddenly, bolting upright and almost hitting her head on the ceiling of the carriage in the process. “Eugene, what if she expects us to pack clothes for her?!”

“She won’t!” he insists, exasperated. “Sunshine, she’s coming up to 28 years old. If she wanted us to bring clothes she would have mentioned it.”

“Yes, fine, but  _ did  _ we?”

He purses his lips and looks away. “All right, yes. Of course we did. Three suits to choose from, to be exact. You know how fashion-conscious Koto is, I wasn’t about to sit back and have the socialites rip her to shreds for turning up in travel clothes.”

Rapunzel deflates in relief, snuggling back against him.

“Oh, thank god. You’re such a good… what should I say? Brother-husband? Fellow partner?”

Eugene pulls a face at the suggestions. “Yeeeeah, I’m not gelling with either of those. We can just say friend, y’know. I am such a good  _ friend  _ to Cass, and yes I am, thank you, don’t sound so surprised!”

“But there’s more to it than that,” Rapunzel protests, peering up at him thoughtfully. “So much more.”

He leans down and pecks her brow. “Well,  _ we _ know that, don’t we? That’s what counts.”

“Yeah,” Rapunzel smiles. “We know.”

She doesn’t reach for her compact for the rest of the journey.

They arrive at the venue around noon. Ingvarr’s intimidating (and, admittedly, very attractive) royal guard never fail to impress Rapunzel, and they are dressed to full occasion in their signature burgundy uniforms, perfectly pressed. Each are wearing a golden pin in the shape of two rings, entwined; unified, today, in celebrating love as well as their unshaken patriotism. It’s a lot busier than Rapunzel and Eugene’s wedding, though perhaps it’s down to Corona being a much smaller kingdom, only rivalled on that front by Arendelle.

“It’s a different vibe, isn’t it?” mutters Eugene, as they step out to have their arrival announced. She links her arm in his and beams at him. “I mean, everything seems much… flashier.”

He eyes the swarm of Ingvarr and Koto heiresses at the cathedral steps dubiously, all dressed pretty extravagantly for somebody else’s wedding.

“But doesn’t it just take you back?” As eventful as their wedding day was, for better or for worse, Rapunzel can’t help the feeling that she’d do it all over again.

“I’m not sure we can really cry nostalgia just yet, Sunshine, we’ve been married just over a year,” he points out with a grin. Their names are announced and there is polite fanfare while they descend the carriage steps. They’re barely on the ground before they’re swarmed by faces they’ve only talked to sparingly at royal banquets in the past.

The exchanging of pleasantries is at the back of Rapunzel’s mind as she searches the crowd for a mop of dark hair, piercing eyes, a patchwork of facial scars. Something resembling the woman she loves. Still, she goes through the motions automatically, like a puppet on strings, smiling and complimenting these people she barely knows as though they’re old friends.

As the conversation runs dry, from behind her a voice calls out.

“Mind if I cut in?”

Rapunzel spins on her heels to face the figure behind her. She knows that voice as well as she knows her own.

Cassandra stands there, radiant as she always is in Rapunzel’s eyes, in a three-piece suit the deep colour of wild violets, her hair scraped back into a braid. They needn’t have packed for her, after all. There are no new scars, to Rapunzel’s surprise; she’s been taking better care of herself these days, despite Rapunzel’s worries, and when she smiles it’s like they’re still on the boat for a moment, on their honeymoon sailing away to happily ever after.

“Well look here, if it isn’t our missing puzzle piece,” Eugene says with a grin, yanking Rapunzel out of the memory of easier times. “Nice suit.”

“Thanks,” she says airily, glancing down at her attire. She pulls on her suit jacket to straighten it, and Rapunzel’s eyes linger on the black gloves she’s wearing for the occasion, complete with simple detailing on the backs of the hands sewn in gold thread. “I wasn’t going to, you know, go all out, but I thought the two of you would probably be repping Corona colours, and so…”

“Aww, you wanted to match with us?” he crows, grin widening. She rolls her eyes and walks up to them, only to punch him lightly on the arm.

“Steady on, Fitzherjerk. I am a piece of this puzzle now, as you put it.”

“That you are,” he sings, throwing an arm around her and pulling her into a hug. “What a delightful day this is. My wife and my wife’s wife and I, united again at a wedding of all occasions.”

Rapunzel giggles, and peers over at Cass from the other side of Eugene. She stares back, before looking away sheepishly at having been caught.

“Uh, it’s really good to see you,” she says quickly. “Both of you. Shit, I know I should have written more.”

Rapunzel reaches over to squeeze her hand.

“I’m just glad to see you here,” she replies, offering up a smile. She closes the gap with a quick, chaste kiss, before they’re interrupted and ushered up the steps and through the cathedral doors. The guests begin to file in and Rapunzel keeps Cassandra’s hand tightly in hers as they’re pushed by the crowd towards their assigned seats.

“Damn, this is a packed ceremony,” Eugene mutters. “I’m starting to wonder why we were invited in the first place. Have we ever even  _ spoken  _ to Princess Wulfrun or her fiancee? Or the other scary one, for that matter?”

“Um… I’m sure I have. A few times,” Rapunzel says, trying to sift through memories of many social functions she’s attended with the seven allied kingdoms. She has a vague recollection of sharing a tale of her travels with one of them by the punch bowl one time, but otherwise she’s drawing a blank.

“They’re not so bad,” Cass chimes in. “Wulfrun and Aenor are sweet together, and Hilda beat me at arm-wrestling one time. She’s got some serious upper body strength.”

“Wait, when did you get to know them so well?” Eugene demands, leaning over Rapunzel to address Cassandra directly. She rolls her eyes.

“Gee, I wonder. Could it have been, I don’t know, some time during the four years I’ve been on the road?”

As their playful banter continues, Rapunzel’s ears tune them out. Still, she’s happy.

For the first time in what feels like forever, she has both the people she loves at her side.


	2. love is an open door

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #2 // “Lance, Rapunzel likes Cassandra,” Eugene blurts out. “Maybe even loves her, I don’t know. It's a lot to take in.”  
> “Woah.” Lance rummages in his pocket and pulls out Socky 2.0, patched up since Rapunzel burst it during their trek up to the spire. “Here. I think you’ll need this.”  
> Eugene eyes the stress relief toy and says flatly, “I do not need Socky.”  
> Lance reaches over and presses Socky into Eugene’s hand. “Don’t fight this,” he says.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, seeing day 2's prompt: better make this one about schnitzherbert :D  
> Today's prompt is 'Love Is An Open Door'. It may just be my favourite song from frozen 1, feel free to revoke my gay card.

It’s well after dark when Lance receives a frantic knock at the door, just over a week after the eclipse.

The people who would willingly visit him at this time of night can be counted on one hand, so he reasons it’s not paranoid in the slightest to arm himself with whatever he can in the event that it’s an old foe come to do him in - even if the only thing in his vicinity right now is between a cookbook and a bedpan.

But then a voice hisses, “Open up, Lance, now,” and he can relax. Slightly.

“Eugene Fitzherbert, my oldest, sweetest and dearest friend, why in the  _ hell  _ are you making this racket so late?” Lance asks, unlatching the door. Eugene marches in, looking jittery and unfocused.

“Shut up,” he says in an exhale, standing in the middle of the room, wringing his hands. “Lance, want to get out of here?”

“Not at all,” Lance deadpans, leaning back against the doorframe tiredly. “I’ve spent all day sweeping rubble and lugging bricks around to fix up the place, forgive me if I want to turn in early tonight.”

“Lance,” Eugene says sharply. Lance meets his gaze instantly, and his voice comes out softer. “Please. Can we just get out of here?”

Lance studies his pinched expression for a long moment, before pulling the door open with a resigned sigh.

“All right, fine. Let’s go.”

Eugene keeps a fast pace when his thoughts are racing, with Lance jogging to keep up, and they soon leave the castle behind them, taking the road down to Old Corona and veering off into the trees. Lance doesn’t realise where they’re going until Eugene stops in a clearing and just stares at him. It’s the clearing they hid out in back in the day, when Lance first arrived in Corona and dragged Eugene out on a job. It’s not exactly what he would consider a sentimental place of theirs, by any stretch, but maybe Eugene just wanted some solitude, or a place to bitch without anyone from the palace hearing them.

“So, you’ve dragged me out to the woods, nobody knows our location. Are you about to start chopping me up with an axe?” he asks, eyebrows raised, but the joke falls flat. Eugene paces for a minute, thoughts still racing, before turning to Lance with a look on his face that Lance would normally equate to somebody who just got caught stealing the crown jewels.

“I’m. I’m just thinking.”

“Thinking-?”

“Lance, Rapunzel likes Cassandra,” Eugene blurts out. “Maybe even loves her, I don’t know. She just told me an hour ago.”

He stares down at his shoes, arms folded tightly over his chest. His feelings on the matter are evident; Lance can pretty much see the dread manifesting in his facial features the longer he burns holes into his boots.

“Woah.”

Lance would be lying if he said he was surprised by this news. Cassandra’s feelings, however messy and complicated, have always been pretty clear to him, and there have been plenty of times he’s wondered about Rapunzel too. Even so, he didn’t think it would ever get far enough that they’d be having this conversation right now.

“You don’t sound surprised,” Eugene mutters.

“Well, are  _ you  _ surprised?” Lance counters. With a dramatic groan, Eugene sinks to his knees.

“No? Not really? I’m not completely oblivious. The way Sunshine and Cass look at each other… of course I noticed. But… It’s still a lot to take in.”

“I’ll say.” Lance rummages in his pocket and pulls out Socky 2.0, patched up since Rapunzel burst it during their trek up to the spire. “Here. I think you’ll need it.”

Eugene eyes the stress relief toy and says flatly, “I do  _ not  _ need Socky.”

Lance reaches over and presses Socky into Eugene’s hand. “Don’t fight this,” he says.

Eugene squeezes the toy a couple times noncommittally and mutters, “It’s just a lot to process.”

“Well, you know what they say,” Lance deadpans. “Love is an open door.”

“Who the fuck has  _ ever  _ said that?”

“I don’t know, I think it’s some sort of idiom from Arendelle. But seriously,” Lance prompts, “what did you say? What did she say? Was Cassandra a part of this whole event?”

Eugene snorts. “No, she certainly was  _ not. _ It was just me, Sunshine, and the frog. I think for moral support.”

“It’s a big deal,” Lance offers, sitting down in the grass beside him. “Makes sense she’d need Pascal to give her that last push.”

“Yeah, well - it worked! She told me everything. The feelings she has for Cassandra, the feelings she has for  _ me, _ how confused she gets about the whole thing. So you know what I said?”

“Was it, ‘sure, Lance, I’ll patch up Socky if I end up crushing it because I know how important stress relief toys are to your process’?” Lance says, eyes trained on the way Eugene’s fist has been steadily tightening around the toy as he speaks.

Wordlessly, Eugene flings the toy to the other side of the clearing. It hits a tree trunk and falls to the floor, motionless.

“Socky!”

“Lance,” Eugene grits out. “Focus. For the love of god, forget about Socky for two seconds.”

Lance goes to retrieve his fallen comrade, and sits back down heavily beside Eugene.

“All right, I’m listening. What did you say?”

With a deep breath, pushing his hair back with both hands, he mutters, “Everheardofpolyamory.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I said,” Eugene repeats loudly, “‘Hey, Rapunzel, that’s okay! Ever heard of polyamory?’” He gestures wildly, as though trying to search for the motion that would convey the exact energy of his recollection of events. “Like, I just came right out with it! Didn’t even take the time to process it!”

Lance bursts out laughing.

“Oh my god. There’s a can of worms that can never be unopened.”

“It’s not funny,” groans Eugene. “And look, Lance, it’s not like… I mean, I don’t regret saying it. If Rapunzel has these feelings, she shouldn’t feel conflicted about it, you know? It’s not her fault that she was raised in a tower with only Gothel to teach her about the complex variety of relationships out there! And do you honestly think the  _ king  _ would talk to her about the possibility of liking women? Who else is gonna tell her this kind of stuff is okay?”

“And that is very noble of you.” With a sigh, Lance reaches over to squeeze his shoulder. “I think it’s good that you did that, but you know for polyamory to work all parties have to be on board, don’t you?”

“Shit. Yeah, I know.” Eugene pinches the bridge of his nose. “I don’t even know how Cass would feel about an arrangement like that.”

“Forget Cass for a moment, moron, I’m talking about you! For someone with an incurable ego, the lack of focus on yourself in this situation is concerning.”

Staring out into the darkness beyond the clearing, Eugene exhales, all of a sudden looking… small. “After all of it, I hugged her and told her I loved her no matter what and that I’d always stand by her. Without any hesitation. I mean, she was almost in  _ tears, _ Lance. She was so worried that I’d think her liking Cass meant she didn’t love me anymore and that almost destroyed her! What more is there to say?”

“Well, plenty! I know you, Eugene. You don’t have to pretend that you’re above having insecurities.” Lance squeezes his shoulder again, and allows his hand to slip down, nudging against Eugene’s. This gesture doesn’t go unnoticed, and Eugene laughs softly.

“I’d be a massive hypocrite though, right?” he murmurs. “After all, I’ve been in her spot. Granted, I was a selfish little prick who didn’t deserve even  _ one  _ person’s love, let alone two.”

Lance is glad it’s dark. It hides the look on his face as he remembers life when it was Lance and  _ Flynn. _ Flynn, who hung off of Stalyan’s arm by day and kissed him by night. Flynn, young and selfish and ready to rule the world, answering to nobody, lacing their fingers together before a job, and afterwards as they fell into bed laughing and cheering at their victories over the rich. Flynn, who left Stalyan at the altar because he refused to be tied down to any one person. Flynn, who left  _ him  _ because in the end, nobody was good enough for Flynn Rider but himself.

“Massive hypocrites can still have feelings,” Lance says gently. Eugene turns to him, face marred with a frown.

“I was the worst, Lance. I made you and Stalyan both feel like shit, all the time.”

“We were young and stupid.”

“That’s still no excuse.”

“It was a lifetime ago,” Lance says resolutely. “It’s in the past now. No need to go dragging up relationship crap.”

It’s no good, revisiting those memories. They’re warped by his own complicated feelings, to the point where he doubts Eugene would be able to recognise them. A lot of the things he felt were probably just conjured by his imagination, after all; his detachment to anybody but his oldest friend, his isolation, his need to be remembered and wanted born from growing up without anyone who cared unconditionally  _ besides  _ Eugene.

“Rapunzel is a better person than I was back then,” Eugene mutters, as Lance traces his thumb along the back of his hand. “I don’t think she’d hurt me like I hurt you and Stalyan. I know she’d never want to hurt either of us.”

“Then what’s going through your mind?” Lance probes. He rests his back against the tree behind them, tilting his head up to stare up at the sliver of stars visible from the clearing. “Is it the idea of having to share Rapunzel with Cass? Because I know she hasn’t exactly been the most trustworthy person lately, but-”

“No, it’s not that,” Eugene sighs. “Even after all that’s happened, I know it was all just… hurting. Whatever her and Rapunzel talked about during the eclipse, it’s brought her back.”

It’s true. Lance and Cass have been spending more time together while the king has her under house arrest, awaiting some sort of trial (although he highly doubts Rapunzel will allow anything to actually happen to Cass besides a formal reprimand). Even in this position, it’s like a flame has reignited in her; through the turbulent emotions she’s endured following Zhan Tiri’s defeat, he’s still managed to see her eyes light up, see her occasionally laugh. It’s a far cry from the endless supply of anger coursing through her just a week ago. For a little while, Lance couldn’t help wondering if she was too out of reach, even for Rapunzel.

“I know we pick at each other all the time,” Eugene continues distantly, seemingly not even realising he’s laced their fingers together like old times. “She’s icy and mean and constantly makes fun of every mistake I’ve ever made in my life, but I don’t know, she’s still my friend. I want her to be happy too. And I’d feel  _ shitty  _ keeping them apart after all this.”

“Do you mind sharing?”

He chuckles a little at that. “Sharing…? Just saying that feels bizarre. She doesn’t  _ belong _ to me, she’s her own person and she’s incredible and I guess… I just have to trust her? I mean, I  _ do _ trust her. With my life. And I’d have to trust that Cass would be good to her too.”

“You never know what might happen,” Lance points out. “Maybe they’d make a terrible couple.”

“Or maybe they’d be perfect for each other.”

_ Maybe even better for each other. _ The words are left unspoken, and without giving himself time to think too hard about it, Lance leans down to press a kiss to Eugene’s cheek.

“You know what I think?”

Eugene scrubs his cheek in bemusement, but now Lance has captured his attention, it’s hard to break that focus.

“Enlighten me,” he mumbles, still staring at Lance’s lips.

“I think you should be honest with her. Lay it all out for her. Your feelings, your insecurities, your history with me and Stalyan… all of it. Show her it takes care to make it work. And, y’know, maybe clue Cass in on it at some point, if she’s still in the dark.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’ll sit down with Calamity Cass if Rapunzel still wants to go through with this,” mutters Eugene. He leans a little closer, eyes flickering over to Lance’s, before hugging him tight. “Thanks, Lance.”

Lance closes his eyes. “Any time, buddy.”

“Hey, so. Do you ever wonder about us?” he mumbles. “If things had gone differently? If I hadn’t been such a colossal asshole back then?”

“Oh hell no. Man, I’m  _ over  _ you,” Lance laughs, patting his back and leaning deeper into the hug even so. “Didn’t I tell you I’m only into guys who are taller than me?”

Eugene pulls back, offended. “Hey, man, you kissed  _ me  _ just now,” he starts.

“Because you’re getting stuck in your own head. It was a pity kiss and I have no further comments,” Lance says plainly, grinning as Eugene punches his arm lightly.

“Jerk.”

“Manlet.”

“Hey now, that’s just rude-!”

As the moon wanes and the two of them sit in the dark, laughing and prodding each other and firing small roasts at one another, Lance figures maybe it’s  _ okay  _ to relish in the what-ifs and what-could-have-been if the stars were rearranged. Just for a little while, it’s okay.

Sure, love is an open door, but only until somebody chooses to close it behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lingering feelings from a past relationship??? In MY open relationship propaganda fics? It's more likely than u think  
> I knew this chapter was going to be about discussing polyamory, but in my drafts it was originally Eugene explaining the concept to Rapunzel. In the end though, I thought after the severe back problems Eugene has from carrying cassunzel in all my fics, he deserved to have a spotlight to work out his feelings and I like writing him and Lance together, they're fun. It wasn't gonna be schnitzherbert but then it was and honestly? It deserves to be


	3. when we're together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra smooths her hair down, dusts down her outfit, and marches into the throne room with her head held high, hoping if she can at least look like she feels perfectly in place here the other partygoers won’t give her a moment’s notice. Unfortunately Willow, with all the tact of a bull in an antiques shop, squeals.
> 
> “Is that my niece’s darling sweetheart?! Get in here, Cassandra, I can’t wait to hear the stories you have of your travels!”
> 
> All at once, Cass feels the stare of a thousand monocles upon her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this got ridiculously long AND introduced a bunch of ocs!! still, it was a lot of fun, i hope other people enjoy reading it as much as i did writing it

The kingdom of Corona celebrates midwinter with the same cheer it brings to every other celebratory event it holds throughout the year. This is one of the few Cass actually sees the merit in celebrating, however, so she can’t really complain. It’s beautiful to see the paper decorations on each house and shopfront, lanterns lining the streets (sturdier metal cases, as opposed to the paper lanterns they set off in the warmer months). The cheer of the people feels earned, the changing seasons bring a wind of change through the kingdom. Above all, Corona emphasises the importance of spending that time with loved ones, something that became even more prevalent after the abduction of the young princess.

As the daughter of the captain of the guard, Cass grew up with a little less of the one-on-one family time due to his busy schedule, but that just meant growing up in the houses of others: sitting by the hearth in Xavier’s shop to keep warm, drying her wet mittens there after a snowball fight with Stan and Pete and Stan’s wife Johanne; sitting down with Uncle Monty as he closed up shop, snacking on leftover gingerbread soldiers; knitting with Friedborg on the evenings to make a scarf for her father’s midwinter gift. As she got older these winter days would fill up with schoolwork, then maid duties, then princess detail.

The first midwinter Cassandra spent away from Corona was in a tower of black rocks, nothing but anger clouding her mind. The next was on a ferry to Arendelle, playing game after game of Bête in the cramped common area with a trio of brothers from Equis who insisted a Coronan could _never_ beat them at cards (and were proved brutally, brutally wrong). The midwinter after that was in a traveller’s inn in Bayangor, penning several drafts of a letter to Rapunzel about her journey while eating warm carrot halwa topped with almonds.

Cass had almost been looking forward to a midwinter spent in Corona after so long. Maybe she and her dad could spend it together in his fishing cabin, or the new lodgings he moved into in the town centre after retirement. Maybe she could shoot the shit with Eugene and Lance over some warm apple cider in The Snuggly Duckling, or help Rapunzel give her entire bedroom a midwinter makeover and make holiday cookies for the orphanage in town.

In her excitement to return for the festivities, she completely overlooked the biggest hurdle of all: the possibility of being invited to the dreaded Der Sonne Midwinter Dinner.

The private holiday party the Coronan royal family hosts each year is _incredibly_ daunting. Cass counts herself lucky that she’s only attended once before, as part of the staff. Sure, sneaking a glass of champagne with Rapunzel behind a curtain at the edge of the ballroom that one year was _fun,_ and deliberately seating Eugene with the most irritating guests she could think of was gratifying to her younger, pettier self.

Being cordially invited to attend as a _guest_ is a different beast entirely. One she could have gladly gone without.

She’d barely been back in Corona an _hour_ when the invitation showed up, delivered to her by none other than Faith, the one in charge of invitations and seating charts for the party. She had handed over the invitation with a flourish, a dry grin, and an ominous, “Good luck, Cassandra,” before leaving without further word. Cass had been completely lost for a moment, watching dumbly as Faith walked away with an amused spring in her step, before reading it for herself and feeling her stomach drop to her feet.

One cannot simply turn down a formal invitation from the king and queen to attend one of their private dinner parties without a hell of a good reason, and as Cassandra is combing through the backlog of plausible excuses in her mind (sickness? Fatigue from travelling? Could she even get away with jetlag?) the only thing coming to mind is the look of disappointment on Rapunzel’s face.

“You and my parents never spend any time together,” she would probably say, and Cass imagines it would come with gently reaching for her hand, or leaning over to play with her hair. “You’re _just_ as much my partner as Eugene and you’re here to stay. Don’t you think they should get to know you better?”

...Well, Cassandra has always hated to let Rapunzel down, even a version conjured by her mind, so she supposes she’ll just have to suck it up and spend the night at the fringes, only interacting to laugh politely at jokes or cluck her tongue in sympathy at a sombre tale.

Fuck, she’s dreading it.

…

It’s just as awkward as she feared.

The decorations in the throne room are grand, the room smells of winter spices and mulled wine and the tablecloths are a rich purple, patterned with both the gold suns of Corona’s crest and silver snowflakes of the season.

Various relatives and family friends of the Der Sonnes are dotted around the room, greeting each other enthusiastically and exchanging gift parcels as Cassandra hangs back in the doorway. There are a few she recognises - Rapunzel’s aunt, Princess Willow Der Sonne, in bright, out-of-season patterns and flirting a little too blatantly with one of the servants trying to straighten out a tablecloth; Dame Elisabeth Van Hoskin of Rochester, frail as ever, complaining about the cold draft coming in and how dreadful that a place as grand as a royal castle has such poor insulation; the Earl of Quintonia, Earl Leduc, a stout, vacant looking man trying to offer the queen some of his pungent homemade cheese; and the Duchess of Pincosta, Rapunzel’s second cousin Agnes, a free-spirited sailing buff talking the ear off of Eugene about some of her experiences out at sea.

Everyone is dressed immaculately, all the women in big, extravagant dresses, and she feels slightly underdressed in the simple burgundy tailcoat and celadon cravat she’d had Lance help her pick out yesterday. Still, she steels herself with a deep breath, this is for Rapunzel, and how important it is to her that Cass take part in ‘family gatherings’.

She smooths her hair down, dusts down her outfit, and marches into the throne room with her head held high, hoping if she can at least look like she feels perfectly in place here the other partygoers won’t give her a moment’s notice. Unfortunately Willow, with all the tact of a bull in an antiques shop, squeals.

“Is that my niece’s darling sweetheart?! Get in here, Cassandra, I can’t wait to hear the stories you have of your travels!”

All at once, Cass feels the stare of a thousand monocles upon her.

She is pulled into a crushing bear hug by Willow, who proceeds to talk a mile a minute about all of the exciting places she’s been, and how strange and funny would it be if they had almost crossed paths at some point? Cass answers questions as politely as she can, humming and laughing at appropriate moments, all the while feeling the curious stares around her.

“So that’s the woman our dear Rapunzel has been… spending her time with…?”

“I can’t say I’m surprised, she looks very handsome in that tailcoat.”

“Did Willow say _Cassandra?_ Wasn’t that the name of the witch who terrorised Corona a few years ago?”

“How does that poor man cope? For his fiancée to invite her other companion to a family event…”

“Her fiancé is one thing, but what do you think the king and queen have to say about it?”

Christ, this is mortifying.

This goes on for an agonising seventeen minutes more, before they are called to take their seats. Faith, whether this be a blessing or a curse, has seated Cassandra on the same table as Eugene, Willow and Earl, who offers her a sample of his repugnant-smelling cheese before the food has even been brought out. Rapunzel, whom she hasn’t so much as had a chance to say hello to yet, waves at her from the front table where she is seated along with her parents. Cass waves discreetly back, and she blows a kiss, causing another ripple of murmurs from the table next to her. When Eugene notices, waving indignantly, she blows one to him too, before her father leans over to murmur something that has her straighten in her seat and recompose herself.

“So, Cassandra - can I call you Cass? Would that be all right? Rapunzel always does!”

“Uh, sure,” Cass agrees, eyes darting between Rapunzel and Queen Arianna, who notices her staring and offers a small smile and wave.

“Great! I’ve heard a lot about you. Mostly good things. Well actually, if we’re being candid here, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Everybody these days has so many opinions about that moonstone disaster-”

Eugene, watching this trainwreck unfold, quickly jumps in with an overly bright grin. “Well, but being in your early twenties is hard for everyone, right? I mean, I was a complete rogue. Master thief, breaking hearts, stealing shit, and I cleaned up nice, so by comparison Cass-”

“Oh, but of course,” Willow readily agrees. “Living is all about growing! I myself took the road you’re on now, Cass, travelling the globe to become more worldly! You can learn from books, you can learn from schools, libraries, universities, but I’m telling you - you learn the best from the institution of life experience!”

As Willow continues to wax poetic about the merits of learning by doing and how cultured she feels after doing so for the last fifteen years, Cassandra risks a glance back over to the table again. Rapunzel looks incredible tonight. She’s in a mistletoe-green ball gown with puff sleeves and crimson accents, hair pinned back from her face with a comb decorated to imitate a sprig of holly. When she notices Cass looking, she mouths, “Hey, beautiful! I love you!”

Cass can’t hide her smile at that, mouths back, “You too.”

“Talk later?” Rapunzel silently replies, before the king clears his throat beside her and she once again laughs sheepishly and says something to him, before turning to ask her mother something. King Frederic glances over to Cassandra, nods slowly in acknowledgement, and rises to his feet. As he clears his throat, the room falls silent and all eyes turn to him.

“Thank you all for coming here tonight to the annual Der Sonne Dynasty’s midwinter celebration. Sitting here tonight, I see my family, my friends - old and new - and important allies to the continued happiness and prosperity of Corona. I am humbled to welcome you into our home to celebrate a time of joy, thankfulness and family. Please enjoy the food we will be serving tonight, and the ballroom will be opened up later this evening.”

The room applauds, and he raises his goblet.

“To this glorious midwinter,” he toasts.

“To this glorious midwinter,” the room choruses, raising their own in turn. He takes his seat, and everyone around the table clinks their goblets together in the centre. Cass downs her wine a little too fast, hoping it’ll make the evening more bearable.

As the food is brought out course by course, Willow continues to talk over everybody else at the table - about her travels, her life, imparting wisdom onto Cass and Eugene and even Earl that none of them asked for. Then, once she has given Eugene some advice on trying to grow out a mustache (much to his indignation) she turns to Cassandra with a fire in her eyes.

“So, you and Rapunzel,” she beams, eyebrows raised. “You’re lovers?”

Eugene turns a laugh into a cough and reaches for his handkerchief.

“We are, that’s correct,” Cass responds carefully.

“How exciting,” Willow sighs, cutting into her portion of roast duck. “You know, I’ve had many romantic encounters during my time on the road too. Handsome strangers all over, gender being irrelevant. Rapunzel definitely gets that from my side of the family.”

“I actually don’t think it’s hereditary,” Eugene mutters, once his laughter has died down. Willow cheerfully ignores him.

“So, who asked who? Have you gone on dates? Are you going to marry her?!”

“Princess Willow, please,” Cass squeaks, feeling dizzy. She clears her throat and stares down at the leftover roasted potatoes on her plate, trying to calm her rapidly increasing heart rate.

“Just Willow is fine,” Willow laughs, clapping her on the back. “After all, we’re family now! Or we _will_ be, right?”

“Actually,” Eugene butts in, glancing between the two of them, “Rapunzel and I are already engaged, you know, so due to Corona Law, Cass and Rapunzel…”

“Details, details,” she brushes off with another laugh. Her eyes twinkle. “You’re interested though, right?”

“I, um.” Cass shovels a forkful of brussel sprouts into her mouth and says nothing more on the matter. Once Willow gets the hint, she turns to Eugene.

“So, do the two of _you_ …?”

Now it’s Eugene’s turn to choke. “Me and Cass?! You’re joking, aren’t you? I’d rather be spit-roasted.”

Willow hums. “All right, then. Interesting.”

The table, for the first time all night, falls silent, with nobody else knowing where to go from here. As the plates are taken away, Willow starts back up again.

“So, Earl! How is your dairy farm doing these days? Did I see you had a sample on your person?”

…

“This is shaping up to be a very painful evening,” Cass groans, as the tables are moved by the staff. Beside her, Eugene grins.

“Oh trust me, every one of these dinners has been painful for me. You being here is actually taking the heat off of me, so I’m having a blast.”

“Glad at least one of us is enjoying themselves,” grumbles Cass, folding her arms. “At least Willow’s horrific lack of boundaries is coming from a kind place.”

“Oh yeah, she’s definitely liking that you’re gay,” Eugene agrees. “She _was_ interested in mine and Rapunzel’s relationship when we first met but she’s always been more excited about my tales of the criminal underworld.”

“Let me guess, she called it life experience?”

“You know it. But you know, Cass, you’re not the only other gay person here. She’s just latching onto you because you’re new to the party.” Eugene gestures to a small cluster of people over the other side of the room, bickering amongst themselves. “See that group over there? Those two, Klaus and Oskar, are married-” He points towards the men standing on one side, arms folded and looking very intense. “And those two, Marianne and Mathilde, are engaged.” He gestures at the women arguing with them. “Oh, and to add to the fun even further, Marianne and Oskar are siblings and they all met on a double date.”

“Huh. Good to know. Why are they arguing?”

“The guys are avian enthusiasts. The women are all about horses. Every fucking year they debate which is the superior animal. I was stuck on a table with the four of them last year and it was agony. Like, it was hilarious but also I wanted to slam my face into a wall by the time dessert arrived.”

A servant passes by, a tray of wine-filled goblets in his hands, and Eugene grabs two and thanks him, before handing one over to Cass.

Cass tilts her head and takes a sip of wine before uttering, “I don’t get it. Horses and birds are both great, you can’t even compare them.”

“Well whatever you do, don’t go telling _them_ that. They’ll want you to pick a side and you’ll never get a chance to dance with our girl.”

Cass grimaces and shakes her head. “Oh trust me, that won’t be happening.”

“What? Even if she asks you upfront?”

“Me being here is causing ruckus enough without the absolute _scandal_ of us dancing in front of you, the _poor jilted fiancé,_ isn’t it?”

Eugene’s expression is a little pained at that. He glances around and leans in a little closer, and says in a low voice, “I didn’t want to say anything, but some of these guys don’t realise that you can hear what they’re saying, do they?”

Cass sighs heavily and shrugs with her whole body. “Maybe they _want_ me to hear these things. I think I’m going to make it a priority to avoid these functions in future.”

“Well, screw them,” Eugene says plainly. “They’ll think what they like no matter what you say. They still talk about how I’m no good for Rapunzel, and I’m the freaking captain of the guard now.”

“So it’s _always_ going to be this painful? Good to know.”

“Ehh, I’ve only been attending this thing for four years now. Maybe the adjustment period will have ended soon,” he laughs. “Guess for now we’ll just have to stick together like the outsiders on the fringes of society that we are.”

“Cheers to that.”

They toast and drink. As he lowers his goblet, Eugene’s face suddenly falls. “Oh, shit.”

Cass turns to him with a frown. “What’s wrong?”

“Klaus and Oskar have spotted us, which means it’s only a matter of time before… yep, they’re coming over here. If Marianne and Mathilde follow, be prepared to make a hasty retreat.”

“Eugene!” Oskar booms, waving as they march over. “It’s been so long!”

“365 days, to be exact,” Eugene supplies helpfully, “but good to see you, Oskar. You too, Klaus.”

“Have you reconsidered your answer from last year?” Klaus asks, cutting right to the heart of the matter. Eugene rolls his eyes hard in response.

“Nope, I still think horses are better than birds, and no, I will not elaborate further or listen to more damning evidence you have to say otherwise.” He claps Cass on the back. “Anyway, here’s Cassandra, Rapunzel’s other partner. Enjoy getting to know each other! I’m out of here.”

“What happened to sticking together?” Cass hisses as he turns to leave.

“When they start, it’s every man for himself, sorry,” he mutters, before waving at a figure across the room. “Oh, there you are, Agnes! Tell me more about your boats! Literally anything!”

Cass shakes her head in disbelief as she watches him melt into the crowd, before turning to the men and holding her hand out to shake. “Sorry about that. I’m Cassandra Chevalier, it’s nice to meet you.”

The taller man, with a monocle and kind eyes, shakes her hand firmly.

“Wonderful to meet you too, Cassandra. I’m Oskar Jansson, and this here is my husband Klaus Der Sonne. You know, he’s actually the Earl of Old Corona, though he hasn’t set foot there in years.”

Klaus rolls his eyes. “Oh, stop it, Oskar, you know I don’t believe in labels.”

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Oskar continues, eyes narrowing. Dread pools in her stomach, and she steels herself.

“If it’s about Rapunzel and Eugene, or the whole, you know, moonstone incident-” she begins.

Oskar and Klaus exchange bemused looks. “What in the _world_ are you talking about, Cassandra? We’re on about your bird.”

Cass blinks a few times. “My bird?”

“Yes, your bird! Your glorious European eagle owl! Last year Rapunzel was telling us about your marvellous owl companion, and we told her if you ever came here we should like to see it!” He glances around. “I don’t see it.”

“She forgot to pass on the message,” Cass says flatly. “But yes, Owl is great. I also have a horse, Fidella.”

Klaus folds his arms and takes a step closer. Cass instinctively moves back a pace.

“Interesting! So you have a fondness for both. But which is better, hmm?”

Oh, geez. Cass drinks from her goblet to give herself more time to figure out an escape.

“I, um…”

Klaus and Oskar both lean in expectantly, but at that moment a voice cuts through the crowd.

“Uncle Klaus, Uncle Oskar, hi!”

They turn to face Rapunzel, standing there with her arms outstretched for a hug, and she envelopes both of them, peeking over their shoulders to mouth, “Hi there!” at Cassandra.

“Good evening, my dear, and a glorious midwinter!”

“To you too,” Rapunzel says with a warm smile, pulling back. “I know you’re in the middle of a very important debate, but would you mind if I borrow Cassandra for a moment?”

Oskar opens his mouth to protest, but Klaus squeezes his shoulder and nods. “Of course, Punzel, whatever you wish. But Cassandra, it truly was wonderful to meet you. We’ll be expecting to catch up with you later!”

They head back over to Marianne and Mathilde, who were watching the exchange like hawks the entire time, and she sets down her now empty goblet before Rapunzel pulls her off to the side.

“Thought you could use rescuing,” Rapunzel grins. Cass laughs.

“God, what gave it away?”

“Eugene signalled me. Anyway.” Rapunzel smiles shyly at Cass and says, “You look incredible tonight.”

Relief washes over Cassandra. “I do?”

“You do! Super dashing.” She smooths an arm down Cassandra’s sleeve. “Understated, but in a good way.”

“You look great too,” Cass offers, and Rapunzel smiles. She goes in for a hug, and Cass melts into it. They didn’t really get the chance to visit each other since her arrival in Corona yesterday, so she’ll ignore the curious glances and just let herself be pulled into Rapunzel’s warmth for a little while.

“How are you coping?” Rapunzel asks her with a giggle. “I know my family can be… a lot. Eugene always has plenty to tell me after these parties.”

“Oh, it’s been interesting for sure,” Cass remarks. “Your aunt Willow is _this_ close to telling me about all the women she’s slept with in the last fifteen years, Earl keeps prodding me to try some of his bizarre cheese, your dad’s been looking at me strangely all evening and now your uncles are trying to get me to choose Owl over Fidella so they can lord it over your aunts. All in all, a pretty mixed reception.”

“Well, thank you for coming,” Rapunzel murmurs, pulling away and taking her hands in her own. “I know you probably weren’t jazzed about it, but… it means a lot to me. I want the people I love to know you.”

“Well, if I came to this thing I knew I’d get to see you sooner, so…”

Rapunzel leans up for a kiss, and Cass ducks her head so the kiss lands on her brow instead.

“Later,” she promises, as Rapunzel pouts. “When your great-aunt Berta isn’t whispering about me being an ‘active strain on your betrothal’.”

Rapunzel looks affronted. “Berta is _not_ family. She said that?”

“During the soup course.”

Rapunzel’s eyes narrow, and she purses her lips, nodding to herself. “All right, okay. I’ll deal with her later.”

“Raps, she’ll probably be six feet under this time next year, don’t waste your breath.”

“I don’t care, I won’t stop explaining things until _everyone_ in this room is on the same page.”

 _Well damn, okay then._ Cass’s heart warms a little. Sad as it is to admit, it feels pretty good to see Raps so fired up to defend her honour.

“Heh. Thanks, Raps.”

Rapunzel smiles at her and brings Cassandra’s hands up to her lips, pressing a kiss to both knuckles and peeking up at her.

“Hey, I have to… use the bathroom. Meet me outside on the steps in five minutes?”

“Sure, okay.” Cass squeezes her hands once more before leaving to head outside.

It’s chilly and dark, with ever so slight power snow falling, and her breath comes out in wisps. Maybe she should have grabbed another drink to warm herself up. She’s pretty sure they’ll be serving the mulled wine soon.

She turns to head back inside, before freezing on the spot as she sees another figure just closing the door behind him.

“H-Hello,” she greets, stunned.

“Oh. Cassandra, good evening. I do believe my daughter was supposed to meet me out here,” King Frederic explains, standing there stiffly in the doorway. Cass blinks.

“Uh, she actually said the same thing to me.”

Frederic frowns at this. “She wanted to talk to both of us together? That’s strange. It must be something serious.”

No, Cass realises with overwhelming dread. Raps looked _way_ too happy for it to be a serious discussion. And now that the two of them are here and she’s nowhere to be seen…

Yep, they’ve definitely been set up. She has no idea how to broach that topic with the king, though, so instead they both stand there in an uncomfortable silence for the longest time, just staring out at the snow-blanketed courtyard. Cass watches her breath come out in puffs, fiddles with her cufflinks.

“I was surprised to see you arrive dressed so… smartly,” the king says after the silence has become painful. She’s so surprised she jolts a little.

“Um, well, everyone here is dressed in their finest clothing,” she responds dumbly. “I, um, tried to match the dress code as best as I could on a traveller’s budget.”

“My daughter could have given you an outfit allowance. I know she would have been overjoyed to do so.”

Lance had said the same thing yesterday, when she had admired a much more exquisite dress suit out of her price range. She tells the king the same that she told him.

“I would never ask Rapunzel to do that.” Cass stares down at her boots, noticing she’s already somehow managed to scuff the one. “It’s a very generous thing to offer, but she doesn’t owe it to me to pay for lavish things.”

“She paid for many luxuries for Eugene before he began working for the Corona guard,” Frederic states, and leaves it at that.

 _Yeah, well I’m not Eugene,_ Cass bites back the urge to snap.

“My father raised me to earn my keep and take responsibility for myself,” Cass responds instead. “I’m proud of those values and don’t wish to take advantage of the royal family’s wealth over something like formalwear.”

He hums in response and they lapse back into silence. The atmosphere is really starting to make Cass wish she was back in there, being asked borderline inappropriate questions by Willow or being offered more cheese that smells as though something may have died in it.

Eventually, the king sighs heavily. “I do believe my daughter may have orchestrated our time out here together, under the false pretences that we would be meeting her instead.”

Cass nods, mouth dry.

“I think you may be right, your majesty.”

“Well.” He clears his throat. “I’m… glad that you agreed to attend.”

“I wouldn’t miss it,” Cass says automatically. “Thank you so much for inviting me. Or for letting Rapunzel invite me. It’s been a… a wonderful celebration.”

“I was the one who invited you,” he says sharply. “Rapunzel has asked me each year to add you to the guest list, but you’ve not spent midwinter in Corona since your… initial departure.”

Cass is too surprised to even hear the slight against her. “I… I don’t know what to say. Thank you for having me.”

“Well, Rapunzel cares for you greatly,” he says matter-of-factly. “It would be a cruel dismissal of your relationship to treat Eugene and yourself differently.”

 _But you_ do _treat us differently._ Cass squares her shoulders and nods, not trusting herself to speak, and so they fall into silence once more.

The snowfall becomes heavier, and the air colder. Cass hugs her torso for warmth, once again considering slipping back inside for some mulled wine. Her right hand is starting to cramp from the cold, and she’s about ready to leave, regardless of what blow to the king’s opinion of her that choice might earn, he speaks.

“Did you know… many years ago, when you were just a child, I would listen out for the pitter-pattering of your feet, running in the corridors?” Frederic asks.

Cass freezes, unable to bring herself to turn to face him.

“You were a little older than Rapunzel would be, at any given time,” he continues, staring out into the jet black of the night. “But I would still listen out for you like you were. I don’t know why.”

“I… your majesty, with all due respect, why didn’t you tell my father?” Cass implores with a frown, finally turning to face him and nursing her hand tenderly as she does so. “Even back then I knew I was breaking the rules by disturbing you. He would have scolded me, no questions asked.”

“Because I believe it was _healing_ for me. It gave me a few moments in each day where I could pretend the abduction never happened, that my daughter was just outside of my door.”

“Friedborg would chase me away,” Cass recalls. “Or send Stan and Pete over to pick me up and carry me away by force. I never realised…”

Frederic looks old in this light. Weathered, in a way that the everyday Corona citizen would never get to witness. He’s been through a lot, she realises, and still has so much he hides from the world.

“Your majesty…”

“No, we’re well past that,” Frederic says tiredly. “Just call me Frederic.”

“Um. Okay. Frederic… sir,” Cass says hurriedly, deciding ‘sir’ is still easier than throwing around the king’s name so flippantly. “I… I’m sorry about the hardship you faced when you lost Rapunzel. I never realised growing up, but I imagine losing her and then having me show up that same night was probably… strange for you.”

“Well, you are not your mother’s daughter,” he says simply, cutting to the heart of the matter instantly. “I don’t blame you for the actions of Rapunzel’s captor.”

Cass’s heart thuds. “Uh, thank you.” She swallows thickly and stares down at her hands. “And I know that the things I did when I harboured the moonstone are - they’re unspeakable, so I’m still so grateful for your hospitality after the fact.”

“My daughter forgave you. She even loves you.” Frederic folds his arms and stares directly at her, his piercing eyes rooting her to the spot. “So I strongly suggest that you never, ever do anything that might upset or harm her. She gave you a precious gift - her compassion - and so I have extended mine as well.”

Yep, Cass will definitely need to sit down after this, just to process whatever the fuck is happening right now.Ì

“I never want to hurt her again,” she says, only it comes out closer to a whisper. “I promise.”

Frederic nods. “Very well, then. I believe we’ve said all that we need to say.”

He clasps his hands behind his back and turns to head back inside.

“Wait, sir! Frederic!” He stops and turns to her, eyebrows raised.

“Yes, Cassandra?”

“I…” She flounders, heart racing as she realises she just raised her voice to the fucking king without any sort of a plan. “I’m sorry, I just… I just don’t understand why you’ve told me all of this.”

He exhales and pulls open the door.

“The nature of midwinter is to appreciate the family ties we have,” he explains calmly. “And to be thankful for it. So from now on, when we’re together we will treat each other as such.”

“As… family?” she echoes, baffled.

“Yes. As family.”

“...All right,” Cass whispers. He nods, turns his back on her, and heads through the doorway. She stands there, trying to figure out what the fuck they just spoke about, when Rapunzel emerges a couple minutes later, bounding over gleefully.

“Hey, Cass,” she trills.

“Hey,” Cass chokes out. “Raps, please never put me alone with your father again, that was _super_ intense.”

Rapunzel’s face falls. “Oh, really? But I was so sure you two would hit it off if you just communicated! What happened?”

“I don’t know. It was weird. And kind of terrifying. But I think he just called me family, so there’s that.”

Rapunzel’s eyes widen. “Wow. That’s… I mean, wow! That’s actually much better than I was expecting it to go.”

“Wait. You mean you didn’t twist his arm to make him say that?”

“No!” Rapunzel’s face splits into a grin, and she pulls Cass into a tight hug. “That’s a huge deal!”

“Well, it’s a step forward.”

Rapunzel pulls back, and cupping Cass’s cheek, kisses her softly.

“So, what’s the verdict? Has it been a glorious midwinter?”

“It’s been a _unique_ midwinter,” Cass compromises, leaning over to kiss her again. Rapunzel reaches for Cass’s aching hand and takes it in her own, massaging it for warmth. “But you know, I’m glad I came.”

“Well then, I’m sure you’ll be pleased to know that you’ll be invited to _all sorts_ of family functions from now on,” Rapunzel says with a mischievous smile. “Since my dad considers you family now, and all.”

Cass groans, resting her head on Rapunzel’s shoulder in defeat.

“I suppose it’s fine.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She straightens up and fixes her with a smile. “When we’re together, I can handle it. The whispering, the wacky relatives… all of it.”

“Lucky for you, I’ll always be here when you need me.” Rapunzel lets go of her hand and offers her arm out instead for Cass to link up with. “Now, when we get back in there would you care to dance?”

“...One dance is all I can take.”

Rapunzel grins and pushes open the door. “All right, I can work with that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can you BELIEVE the entire setup of this chapter was supposed to be the conversation between cass and fred?? i ended up dumping an entire evening of family drama on top of that just to be quirky  
> thank you to the cassunzel committee for helping me come up with some fun relatives for cass and eugene to interact with!!


	4. the next right thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #4 // Was it naive of her to assume that the melancholy plaguing Cassandra’s mind would fade with time, after a lifetime of adventures - after being enveloped by love from the people around her? Was it ignorant to believe that love can always be enough to conquer all, when it is patient and unwavering?  
> Maybe so. Looking at her wife now, crumpled up in stale bed sheets as the sun is beginning to set, Rapunzel feels that same darkness ebbing out of her, covering all corners of the room.  
> “Hey,” she murmurs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was supposed to be the final prompt, but 2 things happened. 1) prompt 4 is taking me longer than expected, and 2) this one ended on kind of a bittersweet note and I want all my ficlets to go out on a high, lol.  
> I've been toying with this for a while now, and I don't think it'll come together any more than this, so I'm posting it now. Is it a bit ooc? Perhaps. I don't know. I was in a bit of a depressive spiral in the weeks leading up to the prompt week which is why I ended up writing this particular ficlet, and I seem to work through it by projecting it onto certain characters, so we have: yet another depressed Cass ficlet, I'm sorry.  
> Prompt: 'The Next Right Thing'.

Rapunzel has seen darkness before. She has  _ felt  _ darkness. Long, thundery days in the tower, without Gothel and without sunshine, huddling under a blanket with Pascal and watching sheet lightning briefly illuminate the sky, praying each time it wouldn’t morph into forked lightning that may strike the tower down at any time. Watching Eugene sail off into the mist of the lake, abandoning her, so soon after showing her the love he felt for her. Watching him bleed out on the floor, surrounded by mirror shards, seeing the light drain from his eyes as her hair lay in heaps around them, powerless.

She’s felt darkness within her, coursing through her body as her hair grows jet black, tears overflowing from her eyes as everything around her withers and dies. She’s felt it in the pit of her stomach watching the woman she loves turn her back on her and walk away so many times. Finding her on the floor, lifeless.

She’s felt darkness on ordinary days, too; too restless to eat but too listless to paint, burning with a desire for something out of reach while everyone around her pulls her into some new activity that doesn’t sate that ache in her. But these moods, however dark they may get, sweep through her relatively quickly, like a passing storm. She can shake it off, force a smile until it sticks, and before she knows it the sun is shining again in her soul and her spirits are lifted.

She isn’t like Cass, who has darkness following her wherever she goes, lurking in the back of her mind until something small goes wrong and sets in motion a chain of events that Rapunzel can’t see until it’s too late. It’s like not seeing a forest fire starting until the smoke rises and half the forest is reduced to ashes. Rapunzel ends up kicking herself over and over, wondering how she could miss the signs.

Was it naive of her to assume that the melancholy plaguing Cassandra’s mind would fade with time, after a lifetime of adventures - after being enveloped by love from the people around her? Was it ignorant to believe that love can  _ always  _ be enough to conquer all, when it is patient and unwavering?

Maybe so. Looking at her wife now, crumpled up in stale bed sheets as the sun is beginning to set, Rapunzel feels that same darkness ebbing out of her, covering all corners of the room.

“Hey,” she murmurs. She knows Cassandra is awake, staring at the wall, but she receives no answer. So, she persists. “How are you feeling now? Want me to get you some soup?”

A slight shake of the head.

This is yet another one of those times where Rapunzel knows hindsight is everything. When Cassandra returned to Corona five days ago, with little to no warning, she’d seemed… out of sorts. When Rapunzel had pressed, she’d mentioned coming down with a cold on the road, and with that excuse to lie in bed for days, they had both run with that theory. Rapunzel had been relieved at first - a cold is a manifestation of physical symptoms, something she understands the rhythms of, and she knows exactly how to help. But as the days dragged on with no improvement, it dawned on Rapunzel that this was the wildfire in Cass’s brain, and by letting this story go unchecked Rapunzel had only been inadvertently fanning the flames.

It feels so obvious now, seeing her huddled under the covers, that a simple cold wouldn’t debilitate her like this.

“Maybe you’d feel a little better if you sat up?” Rapunzel prompts further, taking a few steps closer to the bed. Cass shuts her eyes.

“No. My head is pounding.”

“Cassandra, it’s been days. Fresh air might do you some good, don't you think? Or a change of clothes, or…”

“God, you don't get it, do you? I'm sick, Rapunzel, can't you just let me sleep?” Cass snaps, pulling the covers up over her head.

“Cass…”

This isn't her. Or maybe it is, and denying that is worse.

“Eugene left me alone when I told him to,” she says dully. “Can’t you?”

“Cass, no. I let this go on too long, okay, and that's on me. But sweetheart, this isn't a cold. I know it's not.”

“So?!”

“So tell me how to help!” Rapunzel begs. She kneels at the bedside, and Cass rolls over to hide from her pleading eyes. As the sunset hits her face it scrunches up at the burst of light.

“There's nothing you can do. Just… just leave me alone.”

“You know I can't do that.” Rapunzel perches on the edge of the bed and reaches to smooth her hand over the mound of Cass's body beneath the blankets. “We're a package deal, right? You and me. Always together.”

“I’m hardly ever here,” Cass's voice comes out, muffled as she buries her head. “We're  _ barely _ together.”

“Ah, but aren't we always in our hearts?” Rapunzel presses on, undeterred. “We took a vow, didn't we? To have and to hold…”

“Just stop, all right?” mumbles Cass. “There's nothing you can do for me.”

“I don't think that's true,” Rapunzel soothes, reaching to stroke her hair, and at that physical touch Cass bolts upright, pushing her away.

“Oh, is that right? Because you're a doctor, right, Rapunzel? You know how to treat headcases like me?!” she snarls, and Rapunzel flinches back. Cass pushes oily hair back from her face and kicks back the covers, staggering to her feet. “You don't understand because  _ I _ don't even understand! So instead of telling me to get dressed and go skip through a field of fucking flowers, go tell your royal doctors to invent some wonder tonic that cures broken shitheads like me!”

Rapunzel stares at her, stricken into silence and unable to move. Cassandra stands there, in an ill-fitting sleep tunic with visible sweat stains, looking so pallid and  _ unlike herself _ she might as well be a ghost. She sniffles and turns her head away, unable to meet Rapunzel’s eyes.

“No? Well… that's what I thought.”

She leaves the room quickly, heading into Rapunzel's ensuite bathroom and shutting the door behind her. Rapunzel stares after her, and doesn't even realise she's shaking until she tries to stand.

Cass hasn't snapped at her like that in… years. She'd wager as far back as the moonstone saga. Of course they’ve had disagreements… arguments, even. But not like this.

_ This isn’t her. Not really. _

Some time passes. Rapunzel waits for Cass to emerge, but as the minutes drag by, the suspense is killing her. What will they even say to each other when she leaves the bathroom? Will they still be fighting? Will they talk about the elephant in the room, or will Cassandra avoid even mentioning it and leave it the past until the next time these feelings rear their ugly head?

Before she knows it Rapunzel stands before the door, fist frozen in a position ready to knock as soon as her nerves cooperate. Cass… might still be mad. Might say something else cruel. But she might need her, even after swearing up and down that all she needs is to be left to herself.

Isn’t that what got her into this state in the first place?

As Rapunzel’s curled fist once again freezes barely an inch from hitting the wood of the door, she hears something from the other side. When she presses her ear up to the door, she hears it again.

Sobbing.

Rapunzel finds her mind wandering back to one time in particular - a conversation overshadowed by the horrific events that followed - that time on stage where they stood in each other’s shoes, just for a moment.

_ “It’s not always easy for someone to say how they’re feeling. Sometimes it’s hard to just say ‘I’m hurting’.” _

It’s easy to forget as the years have passed, with Cass opening up to her the closer they got. Physically feeling the walls going back up was a shock to her system.

In the end, Rapunzel doesn’t knock. She slides down into a sitting position, back pressed to the wood of the door, and murmurs, “I’m still here.”

She feels a slight knock against the wood, as though Cassandra is joining her against the door. She sniffs loudly.

“Raps, I… shit. I’m… I didn’t mean to throw all that at you.”

Her wife’s voice is thick with grief, and it brings such an ache to Rapunzel’s chest to hear it. If she could take that pain in Cass’s head for herself, just to bring her some relief, she would do so in a heartbeat. Easing that burden would be worth the price of her own contentment, if it meant Cass could sleep soundly at night, or bring herself to rise each morning.

“I know you didn’t,” Rapunzel says gently. She pulls her knees up and hugs them, shutting her eyes. “This isn’t you.”

“But it is,” Cass chokes out, sounding frustrated. “I’m not trying to upset you - or worry you, I just-!”

She takes a few deep breaths.

“I can’t st-stop being a horrible person, Rapunzel, I’m sorry. I-I-I shouldn’t have come back when I did, I knew this would happen.”

_ You’re not a horrible person, _ Rapuzel wants so badly to say.  _ You never were. You’re hurting, and you need my help. _

But that will only make her put up walls again.

“So why  _ did  _ you come back?” Rapunzel asks instead.

Cass falls silent for a while, besides the occasional sniffling as she tries to compose herself.

“I… I was just really tired,” she whispers, so muffled Rapunzel has to strain to hear it. “When I was on my way back, I was planning to surprise you and be happy and on it but when I  _ got  _ here, I - I just needed to lie down.”

“For five days.” It’s a statement, not a question.

Another sob.

“I know,” she says, voice wet. “Raps, I’m sorry. I’m so tired.”

It’s the kind of fatigue that sleep doesn’t remedy. Tiredness is just another name for the forest fire in her head, the melancholia sweeping through her body like flames on tree bark.

“If you’re tired, that’s okay,” Rapunzel tells her, trying to keep her voice from shaking as she presses a hand to the wood, wishing Cass could feel it. “If you’re hurting or melancholic, that’s okay! You don’t have to pretend it’s something it isn’t, not to me!”

“I don’t know what to tell you,” Cass says, sounding so defeated it makes Rapunzel just want to cry. “I might as well be sick? I can’t do  _ anything  _ when I’m like this, Rapunzel. Except push people away, I guess.”

“You don’t have to do this alone.” Rapunzel presses her brow against the door, squeezing her eyes shut tight. “I’m with you. But you have to let me.”

On the other side of the door, Cassandra says nothing. As the silence draws on, Rapunzel changes tactics.

“Hey. Cassandra, a few months ago I visited Arendelle. I was in a bit of a tough spot. It had been a few bad days, with a bunch of silly mistakes made that caused trouble for my parents to rectify. I missed you, but you were in between towns and I didn’t know where to send your letters to, so I felt… alone. Eugene was here, of course, but you were the one I wanted to talk to. I felt isolated, so I visited Anna and Elsa to take my mind off of things.”

Cassandra says nothing.

“I know I shouldn’t have gone all that way. I could have just written them, I was shirking my princess duties and all, but I did it anyway. I don’t know why. I was just feeling impulsive, I guess. But when I was there, I told Anna about how hopeless I felt. You know what she told me?”

Silence. Rapunzel presses on.

“She said, ‘Don’t give up. Take it one step at a time. And just do the next right thing.’ I wasn’t sure what to make of it at first. It seemed like kind of… generic advice. But she told me she’d turned it into a mantra of sorts. Just saying it helped her, and ever since, I’ve started doing the same.”

“A mantra isn’t going to change anything,” Cass says finally. “You know that, don’t you?”

“In the short term, maybe. But in this case, I just want you to think of that last part. What’s the next right thing for you right now?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is it staying in the bathroom all day? Is it being by yourself?”

Again, no answer.

“The next right step,” Rapunzel says, as firmly as she can muster, “is to let me help you.”

She presses her ear to the door, listening out for Cassandra’s ragged breathing or any shift of movement, and then almost falls back with a yelp when the door suddenly springs open.

Cass kneels there on the other side, puffy-eyed, mouth pulled into a tight line, as though she doesn’t trust herself to speak.

“...Hi,” Rapunzel utters, stunned for a moment before reaching over to cup her cheek with the gingerness she would normally exercise on a wounded animal. Cass squeezes her eyes shut, only moving back as Rapunzel’s fingers move too close to her hair.

“Don’t,” she whispers. “Please. I’m a mess right now.”

“You’re not the disaster you’re making yourself out to be, I promise you.” Rapunzel reaches for her hand instead, clasping it in her own. “But even if you don’t want to hear it right now, cleaning up goes further than you think.”

“I know,” groans Cass. “Raps, I know. Believe me, I do.”

“Then don’t fight me on it!” Rapunzel chides. Her voice softens. “This was the first step. Where do we go from here?”

…

An hour later the sheets have been changed, Cass has bathed, and while the sky is a little darker, things are finally starting to look up. They perch on the end of the bed, sipping from cups of freshly brewed tea from a pink teapot balanced precariously on a footrest beside them.

“When you get like this on the road, what happens to you?” Rapunzel asks, tilting her head.

“It… It doesn’t happen often,” Cass admits, taking a sip from her cup before elaborating further. “Keeping busy distracts me. But when it does, I just… I hole up in an inn and I shut the curtains. Stay there until something gives. When it does, it gets easier again, and I go. It’s… not the most financially stable way of handling things, I know.”

Rapunzel reaches over to squeeze her shoulder.

“I’ll go to the apothecary tomorrow and get some borage oil for you,” she promises. “I’ve heard it’s very effective.”

Cass snorts.

“You realise that’s just an old wives tale, right? Borage does nothing for melancholia.”

“It’s worth trying. Believing is half the battle! I think they call it a placebo effect?”

“The trick of a placebo is the recipient doesn’t know it’s a placebo,” Cass points out. “But thanks.”

“So cynical! Still, I’m just glad you sound like yourself again.” Rapunzel leans over and presses a kiss to her brow. “Even if that comes at the expense of you cutting down my ideas.”

Cass looks away, embarrassed.

“I’m not… I’m not trying to be negative. It’s just, everything you’re saying is a road I’ve already been down. ‘Just take care of yourself’. ‘Just take borage oil.’ ‘Just think happy thoughts.’ None of it  _ changes  _ anything.”

Setting her cup to one side, Rapunzel wraps an arm around Cassandra and pulls her in close, resting her chin against the top of her head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know. But Cass? That doesn’t mean we stop trying altogether.”

“I know, I know. We take things one step at a time. We do the next right thing. But Raps, I think it’s always going to be like this. I’ll be okay soon enough, but eventually it’ll come back again because it always does. There’s no perfect ending to it.”

“Then we’ll adapt! We’ll keep trying new things!” She kisses Cass again, holds her a little tighter, and says resolutely, “Even if there’s no end in sight, I’ll be here as long as you let me.”

“...Okay.” Cass nods slightly, and tilts her head up. As tired as she looks, her mouth pulls up into a slight smile. “I’ll try to do better, too.”

The door creaks open, and Eugene stumbles in, looking weary from a long day of scolding cocky new recruits. “Cassandra! As I live and breathe. Here I was thinking you’d gone into hibernation for the winter. That’s what vicious forest creatures do, right?”

“I woke up early,” she says automatically. “If you come too close I’ll maul you to death.”

“Ouch, message received.” In typical Eugene fashion, he ignores this vague threat and flops down the other side of her, slinging his arm around her too. “So, what did I miss?”

“Not a whole lot. I bathed.”

“Hooray! I can tell the cloud of flies waiting outside the window to piss off, then.”

Cassandra raises her eyebrows and turns to stare at him.

“A whole day of insulting new recruits can really turn you into a jackass, huh Eugene?”

“Oh, if you met them you’d know why I’m so amped up right now. So there’s this one smarmy little shit, name’s Tobias, and get this…”

As Eugene begins giving a detailed list on why he can’t stand the newest members of the guard, Rapunzel allows her gaze to linger on Cass. She’s still fragile, she can tell; the hand holding her tea shakes ever so slightly, her eyes are still glazed over, as though ready to overflow at any moment, but then her face lights up with a smile at the story Eugene is telling and she chimes in with how she’d whoop this guy in combat to put him in his place and for a moment she’s  _ transformed, _ as though she hasn’t spent the last week in a stasis of misery.

Things are still delicate. It might be just as bad tomorrow, or worse, but… for now, seeing the way her eyes crease in amusement the longer Eugene vents, the grief ebbing away however briefly…

“He sounds like a real ass,” Rapunzel blurts out, and the two of her spouses stare at her in shock for a moment, stunned into silence by her uncharacteristically crude and sudden comment, before they both burst out laughing.

Maybe that was mean. Rapunzel watches on as they continue to laugh, absolutely beside themselves with the absurdity of it all. The longer she watches Cass laugh though, holding onto her side as she tries to catch her breath, the less bad she feels about it.

After all, as long as she’s smiling, it was the next right thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again. Hopefully lost in the woods will be a lot more uplifting.  
> Anyway, time to sleep. zz


	5. lost in the woods

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #5 // “So,” King Frederic says, scrutinising the four of them in dismay, “what on earth were the four of you doing all the way in the north woods?”  
> Rapunzel figures it’s a little ridiculous, being delivered to her father by a small army of dishevelled guards, looking like a drowned rat, while their captain shivers just as pathetically beside her. Cass and Lance exchange concerned looks, no doubt trying to cook up an explanation for their peculiar adventure without incriminating themselves, when Rapunzel opens her mouth first.  
> “We got lost,” blurts out Rapunzel.  
> Frederic raises his eyebrows.  
> “Lost,” he repeats.  
> “Lost,” Eugene echoes solemnly. “In the woods.”  
> “Lost in the woods,” Cass agrees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hate how long it took me to finish this. i hate that i really had to twist my own arm just to finish it. but i made a vow, so here it is. lost in the woods, in all its shitty glory. sorry if this one is a little... ooc?? i'll do better next time lol

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Rapunzel frets, for the third time since they left the castle half an hour ago.

“Raps, this is totally fine,” Cass says with an air of impatience, tugging her by the hand through the treeline. “Don’t I always say? What you do when no one’s looking is your business.”

“The last time you said that to me my hair grew back ten times as strong and plunged us into a whole magical destiny saga,” Rapunzel points out, using her free hand to hitch her dress above her knees to avoid it getting caught as they pass by a patch of brambles. “So your words don’t exactly reassure me, Cass.”

“Details,” Cass says dismissively. “Come on, weren’t you the one who kept saying you wanted a piece of the good old days?”

“Well…  _ yes, _ but…”

Cassandra stops in place and turns to her, swinging her hand playfully.

“Raps, you trust me, right?”

“I trust you’re not nearly as hung up on rules and regulations as you used to be,” Rapunzel teases, and Cass’s grin widens at the call-out. Rapunzel rolls her eyes fondly and pulls a hand up, pressing a kiss to her knuckles and fixing her with a fond smile. “Yes, I trust you. Even though I also trust that this is a terrible idea.”

“That’s the spirit.”

They weave around tree trunks, ferns and thickets, the scent of woodsmoke growing stronger with each step, until finally Cass comes to the base of a large willow, leaning over almost horizontally from the awkward terrain it's grown from. She pulls the thick, drooping branches aside, ushers Rapunzel through, and when they come out the other side, they’re in a small clearing. Sleeping mats are rolled out, thick, patterned blankets thrown on top of them, and logs have been rearranged around the middle of the clearing where a campfire is in full blaze. Lance looks to be frying sausages in a large skillet.

Eugene emerges from the other side of the clearing with an armful of firewood.

“Ladies! So glad you could join us!”

“Gentleman! You knew we were coming,” Cass replies flatly.

“Icy as ever, I see,” he retorts. He sets the tinder down in a pile near the campfire and bounds over to Rapunzel, swooping her into a hug. “And how is my dear sweet wife on this fine evening?”

“She’s worried we’ll get busted for camping on private property,” Cass says, before Rapunzel can say otherwise. Lance’s eyes, having been trained on the frying pan up until now, dart up to stare at the trio.

“What do you mean, private property? She’s going to be the queen soon enough, doesn’t she own everything the light in Corona touches? Just by virtue of being royalty?”

“You’d think, but we’re actually on the Baron’s land right now,” Eugene muses. "Not that he ever spends time at this place anymore because of the whole, you know, being stuck behind bars thing.”

“Happy days. So we’re flipping a finger to the Baron, one last time, by holding an illegal camping trip on the grounds?”

“Exactly! You get it.”

“As the captain of the guard, you probably shouldn’t be condoning trespassing, let alone participating in it,” Cass drawls. “But hey, I’ve got no power in this equation, so by all means, lets keep the party going.”

The sun has just dipped below the horizon, leaving the sky a faded blue and growing darker by the minute. Lilac clouds mottle the sky like streaks of paint on a dry brush, and as the air blows through the clearing it sends a chill down Rapunzel’s spine.

“Did you bring the goods?” Eugene asks as Cass goes to sit beside Lance, warming her gloved hands by the fire. She reaches into her satchel, rummages around, and withdraws a bottle in the shape of an hourglass, engraved with a delicate diamond pattern.

“I did, and it was pricey. You gonna pay me back out of your royal pocket?”

“In case you forgot, you’ve got royal pockets too, miss queen consort,” he points out.

“Please, you know I don’t accept any royal allowances,” Cass rebukes. “I bought this with my cartography money. If you’re so stingy about where your royal allowance goes, pay me back with your sweet captain’s paycheck. And don’t even  _ pretend  _ the job doesn’t pay, don’t forget I was the captain’s daughter for twenty years.”

“Look, the king already knows about all my petty purchases, but paying you back for a bottle of amaretto might just be the final straw that gets him to cut me off completely.”

“Amaretto?” Rapunzel echoes.

“Not just any amaretto,” Cass says, a hint of pride in her tone. “Arendelle’s finest.”

“Booze,” Lance responds helpfully, seeing Rapunzel’s expression remain blank at Cassandra’s limited explanation.

“It tastes like almonds, sunshine, you’re gonna love it,” Eugene explains. He leans down to kiss her softly, and smooths back her hair. “Trust me, tonight’s gonna be fun.”

Rapunzel exhales. “All right. I mean… after all, the Baron is not a nice man… if we’re camping illegally on anybody’s property, it might as well be a  _ bad  _ person’s property, right?”

“That’s the spirit!”

“Remind me again why, when Rapunzel’s family owns the entire fucking royal grounds?!” Lance’s voice raises an octave in a yelp as the sausages spit a little in the pan.

“The grounds are crawling with guards, there’s no privacy there. We’re going for an authentic experience of Caravan Times, aren’t we? We  _ did  _ bring this up with the king and queen, but they weren’t pleased about the idea of having any part of the kingdom left wide open for ambush, so…”

“Didn’t you think to point out that you’re a guard?” Cass grins, shaking her head in exasperation. “Better yet, the captain?”

Eugene sits there in painful silence for a moment, before slapping his forehead.

“Shit. All right, you got me, I’m a fool!” He sighs heavily and continues. “Well anyway, this just rings more true to the experience, doesn’t it? I mean, if you think about the number of places we illegally camped on during our time on the road.”

Now it’s Cassandra’s turn to stare in disbelief. “Wait, what? You told me we got a permit from the king before we left! Do you realise how many people could have kicked our asses if we’d camped somewhere with stricter trespassing laws?”

“But we were fine and nobody saw!”

The two of them bicker on as Lance serves up sausages and hash, and Rapunzel brings out the small picnic basket of cold cuts and other finger foods she and Cass brought over from the castle kitchens. She still finds herself glancing around at first, half-expecting the Baron or his cronies (or worse still,  _ Stalyan _ ) to charge out from the house with swords raised, but these thoughts soon ebb away when Eugene pulls out shot glasses from his satchel. He fills them up with liquid amber poured from that elegant bottle and passes them around.

“To a piece of the old days,” he says, raising his glass slightly before tilting his head back and downing the shot. The group echo that sentiment and as Rapunzel gulps back the bitter-saccharine liquid, her chest blooms with warmth.

“So, how’d you do it, Fitzherbert?” Cass asks as she sets her glass aside, face scrunched up from the sweetness of the spirit.

“Do what?”

“Take the time off from your duties as captain just to shoot the breeze with us for the night.”

Eugene laughs and puffs out his chest. “Oh, that one was easy. Left Stan and Pete in charge. Told them I had, uh, caught wind of an illegal gathering in the North woods and I was going undercover to investigate.”

“You gave them our location?!” Rapunzel squeaks.

“And they  _ bought  _ that?” Cass adds in disbelief. “Without insisting on you bringing reinforcements?”

“Hey, they know I know the thief hideouts better than anybody, they weren’t about to stop me,” he defends. “Besides, I told them I was bringing along my best honorary guard for backup.”

“Och, Eugene! I’m blushing,” Lance sighs, hand on heart.

“Uh, Lance, I was actually referring to the woman over there with the dagger strapped to her shin.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere,” Cass deadpans. “Anyway, shirking your duties? Any honourable captain would get their wages docked for that, I’m sure…”

“Consider this unpaid overtime!” He rolls his eyes and throws his arm around Rapunzel instead. “You agree this is an honourable cause, don’t you, Rapunzel? After all, we aren’t getting any younger. How often are we going to get a chance to recreate our youth, huh?”

“Yeah, you make a good point,” Rapunzel sighs, mouth pulling into a smile. She leans into him and rests her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat for a few moments and letting the calm rhythm wash over here. “You know, I missed this. All of us, getting together in the great outdoors like we used to. Chances like this don’t come around too often these days.”

“Royal duties have been piling up, huh, Sunshine?” Eugene supplies sympathetically.

“And it’s hardly ever the four of us anymore, with Cass being gone as often as she is,” Lance adds on with a laugh. Cass frowns and stares down at her hands. Eugene notices her discomfort and prods him playfully.

“Being a full time father doesn’t exactly leave your schedule wide open either, Lance.”

“True!” He sighs dramatically. “Have we all just become boring adults, then? Because now I certainly  _ feel  _ like a boring adult, reminiscing on our lost youth over alcohol and campfire light.”

“Looks like it,” Cass says dully. “I mean… you and Fitzherbert are pushing thirty now, right? Ouch.”

“Ouch indeed,” Eugene laughs, not sounding all too bothered considering the effort he’s put into preserving his skin recently, silently worrying about crows feet or worry lines or any other matter of wrinkles that could come about his face within the next few years. Rapunzel knows this, of course, but the other two look almost impressed by how blase he is at the idea.

“Aren’t your thirties when life is supposed to get good, anyway?” Rapunzel muses. “That’s what my Aunt Willow always says.”

“Oh, of  _ course  _ she did.”

The conversation peters out, each member of the group contemplating where exactly the years have gone, and what lies ahead. Good times, bad times. Increasing responsibilities, the joys and hardships of ageing, maybe even children… and Rapunzel, of course, having to someday become queen.

Yes, she’d like to think some more about the good old days, instead of focusing on the daunting notion of ruling one day.

“Well,” Eugene says after a long pause, “y’know, if you want to talk about reliving our youth and going on a little adventure, we  _ could  _ just go to that lagoon you always talk about.”

Cassandra and Rapunzel exchange bemused glances and say nothing.

“…You’re still not going to take me, are you?”

“Nope.”

Eugene throws up his hands in annoyance. “Typical! Am I going to go my whole life without ever visiting your lesbian lagoon?”

“Lost lagoon,” Rapunzel corrects.

“Yup,” Cass says dryly, poking at the fire with a damp branch and watching the smoke dance above their heads. “You see, Fitzherbert, that’s the beauty of it being a  _ lesbian  _ lagoon.”

_ “Lost _ lagoon,” Rapunzel says again.

“I would also like to see the lesbian lagoon before I die,” Lance volunteers.

“Unbelievable. You’re telling me no matter the circumstances, you’ll  _ never  _ smuggle me into your secret base?”

“Secret base?” Cass snorts. “What are we, five?”

“You tell me, being so possessive over a piece of land,” he retorts.

“It’s the principle of the matter!”

“Principle of  _ what, _ exactly?”

“Hey!” Lance interrupts, clapping his hands together. The group turn to face him expectantly. “You know what we need? A good old game of cards.”

“Cards sound good!” Rapunzel agrees readily. “What are we playing?”

“Just a warning, I’ll kick your asses at Bête,” Cass says with a grin, her dispute with Eugene already forgotten.

“Oh, you think? Clearly we’ve never gone up against each other, or you’d know that I never lose card games, ever-”

“Geez… you know what, let’s just do something simple!” Lance says, reaching into his waistcoat pocket for a deck of playing cards. “No game where you two can battle it out while the princess and I sit on the sidelines, all right? We’re playing war.”

“War? Oh, come on, there’s no stakes to that,” Eugene complains.

“Isn’t that a kid’s game?” Cass adds.

“Not the way I play it!” Lance begins to shuffle the deck with expertise, standing up and moving to sit away from the campfire to form a circle with the others. “Now, war is a simple concept. Everyone puts down a card on the count of three. Highest card wins.” He sits down cross-legged and begins dealing out to the trio rapidly. “But we’re putting a spin on this classic game and giving it some contemporary flavour. Highest Card gets to ask Lowest Card a question. Any question, no matter how boring, spicy, personal or downright inappropriate.”

“I swear to god,” Cass begins, fixing Lance and Eugene with stern looks, “if either of you even  _ think- _ ”

“Ah-ah-ah.” Lance shushes her and deposits the last card with a flourish. “Choice in this game is key. Lowest Card still gets to make a choice when called upon. They can either answer honestly, or they can drink.” He nods towards the bottle of amaretto beside Eugene, before sitting back and folding his arms triumphantly. “Game ends when we either run out of cards or run out of hooch. Now. Any questions?”

Eugene opens his mouth and Lance shushes him without missing a beat. “Trick question. Only the Highest Card gets to ask questions. Now, let's begin!”

On the count of three, the group turn their cards over.

“I win!” Rapunzel cheers.

“And I lose,” Eugene chuckles. “All right, sunshine, hit me with your worst.”

“Hmm…” Rapunzel strokes her chin, trying to think of something good. “All right… let's see…”

“If you can't think of anything, sentence him to a shot,” Lance chimes in helpfully.

“No, no, I got this!” Rapunzel's eyes open and she fixes Eugene with a grin that is positively devious. “All right! Hope you're ready for this! Now, answer honestly. What is… your favourite Coronan celebration?”

Everyone stares flatly at her. Eugene scratches his chin, contemplating.

“Huh. Uh, definitely not what I expected you to ask. Okay, lets see… damn, and I can only pick one? There are like, at least fifteen I can think of.”

“That’s the rule,” Rapunzel says smugly. Cassandra and Lance exchange exasperated glances as Eugene ponders some more.

“Midwinter,” he decides finally. “Good food, good cheer, all that jazz. Although, y’know, if you just let the gophers eat bimberries before the gopher grab like that first goodwill festival, it definitely would have won out.”

Cass growls in frustration and reaches across to grab his shoulder, forcing him to look at her with a knowing, “Ah, here we go.”

“They  _ already  _ eat bimberries, you feed them  _ dimberries, _ how many times do I have to teach you this?”

“Blame not me, blame whatever wise guy decided to name two identical-looking berries identical-sounding names,” Eugene says wisely, hands on hips. She shakes her head and sits back.

“I cannot. I cannot go through this with you again.”

Lance clears his throat. “Well, uh, great question, Rapunzel!”

Eugene makes a so-so gesture with his hand.

“You know I love talking about Coronan festivities with you, Sunshine, but maybe we could go a bit more out the box next time,” he laughs, leaning over to press a kiss to her cheek.

“Y'know, Raps, it's okay to be a little more hardcore with these questions,” Cass agrees, shaking her head fondly.

Rapunzel bristles a little at their implications (she  _ can  _ be hardcore, she  _ can  _ ask spicy questions, she just chooses a nicer approach!) but says nothing. They all draw cards once again.

Lance waves around his queen of spades like a trophy while Cassandra glowers at her four of hearts in disgust.

“Oh, this oughta be good,” Eugene mutters to Rapunzel.

“So, Cassandra. You never give us little private details of your life,” Lance sing-songs. “Now’s as good a time as any. First kiss? I want a name, a date, and a fun anecdote.”

Sourly, Cassandra reaches for the bottle and pours herself a shot.

“Oh, come on, that one’s not so bad!” He laughs. “Let me guess. Milkmaid?”

“No, think bigger,” Eugene chimes in, enjoying the dead expression in her eyes. “Diplomat’s daughter? Foreign princess! Wait, no. A bad girl from the wrong side of town, under your father’s wing for a ‘youth-scared-straight’ program?”

“Guys, come on,” Rapunzel interrupts, reaching over to squeeze Cass’s shoulder. “If she doesn’t want to say, she doesn’t have to.”

Cass downs the shot and shudders, before saying flatly, “I have immunity now.”

Eugene pouts. “Damn. Fine, fine. Next round.”

They turn their cards over. Cass, throwing down a jack, hones in on Lance’s pitiful 3 of clubs. “Aha! Right back atcha, lover-boy. First kiss. Name. Date. Fun anecdote.”

She folds her arms and watches him expectantly. Lance, only now realising the consequences he’s reaping, gulps.

“Er. Um.”

“Oh, come on,” Cass sings, face pulling into a smirk. “That one’s not so bad! Hmm, let me guess. Milkmaid?”

“All right, this is beginning to get petty,” Eugene says quickly. “Here, Lance, just drink.”

“Hang on, Fitzherbert.” Cass stops his arm as he reaches for the bottle. “Lance is the one who cooked up these rules. No question is off limits, right?”

“Yeah, but come on, this is becoming a bit…”

“Eugene.”

Eugene turns to him, eyebrows raised. “Yeah, buddy?”

“No, I mean that’s my answer. It was Eugene.”

The group falls silent. Rapunzel and Cassandra exchange wide-eyed glances as Eugene stares at him, stricken.

“No shit,” Cass says with a whistle. “Really?  _ Eugene?” _

“We were seventeen and we’d just pulled a big heist,” Lance continues mildly, shuffling his cards from one hand to the other to distract himself. “Nothing special.”

“Wait, that’s wrong.” Eugene shakes his head in disbelief, before pointing a finger accusingly. “You told me your first kiss was with Poppy Schaeffer from the orphanage when we were fourteen!”

“Poppy Schaeffer was definitely a lesbian, Eugene,” he says calmly. "You didn't clock that?"

“Huh, really? Damn. Wait, then - then what about Etta Schloss?!”

“She refused to move past hand-holding and was only interested in me when I was the sweet feet champ,” Lance continues solemnly.

Cass leans in close to Rapunzel, still watching this exchange with rapt interest. “The sweet what now?”

“Hopscotch,” Rapunzel whispers back. “He’s talking about hopscotch.”

“Then - then what about all those other girls?!” Eugene asks desperately.

“Eugene, there  _ were  _ no other girls. I made them up.”

“Okay, fine, you made them up, but! But that doesn’t mean that I was the first person who ever  _ kissed  _ you!”

“Well, you were, okay? It’s not a big deal!”

“Uh, it  _ is _ because you lied to me!”

“Listen, fellas, if you want us to give you some space to work this out…” Cass begins, clapping her hands together. Eugene turns to her with a glare.

“Oh no you don’t. Nobody’s going anywhere. We’re keeping on playing.”

“Can we please go back to fun, harmless truths?” Rapunzel pleads. “This is getting a bit intense.”

“Yeah, and it shouldn’t be. Isn’t this supposed to be fun?” Cass folds her arms over her chest uncomfortably. “Look, Lance, I’m sorry. I didn’t realise that would actually make you upset, I thought we were just messing around. Next time you can just drink, all right?”

“I’m not upset!” He throws up his hands in indignation. “I don’t know why we’re even fighting. I made peace with it years ago! I just knew that telling  _ him  _ would get me laughed at because we were seventeen and stuff like first kisses  _ mattered  _ at the time.”

“But you never thought to tell me afterwards?” Eugene grumbles. “It’s been years! I thought we were friends.”

“I’m not talking about this anymore,” Lance says with a sigh. “You get stuck on this kind of thing too much, Eugene, it really wasn’t that deep.”

He turns his next card over without a word, and begrudgingly the rest of the group do the same. Eugene tries to catch his eye again, but in the end it’s futile.

Cass once again draws the short straw, and Lance, with a ten of diamonds, manages to come out on top.

“Okay. All right, let’s think of a harmless one! Cass. When are you next headed out on the road?” Lance asks brightly, expecting a straightforward answer, but her eyes widen and she stiffly glances around the circle.

Realising that reaching for the bottle would be worse than just answering honestly, she clears her throat. “Funny you should ask. Well, it’s not so much on the road as on a ship, but… Tomorrow, actually.”

Silence falls over the group.

“Wait a minute, tomorrow?!” cries Rapunzel, before anybody else has room to react. “What are you talking about? When you came home last week you told me-”

“I know, I know it was going to be longer. I’m sorry,” Cass says quickly. “But yesterday Xavier mentioned to me that there’s a ferry leaving tomorrow night that’s going all the way to the Southern Isles. I still haven’t been there so I figured I shouldn’t pass that opportunity up.”

“Uh, were you going to  _ tell  _ me?” splutters Rapunzel, pushing her hair back in frustration. “Or were you just planning to wait until I came back to my room and all of your things were gone?”

“I was going to tell you, I swear! But tonight was already all planned out and I didn’t want to upset you.”

Rapunzel purses her lips together. “I’m not upset,” she says finally.

“Oh, yeah? Raps, you won’t even look at me right now.”

“Look, I wanted tonight to go smoothly too, all right?” Rapunzel exclaims, rising sharply to her feet. She steps away from the circle and begins to pace as the other watch on, stunned. “But I’m stressed out! We’re breaking the law when we didn’t have to, we’re fighting over petty things, and now you’re  _ leaving _ \- I had stuff planned too, you know, Cassandra! A dinner reservation, a balloon ride…”

“Hey, Sunshine?” Eugene interjects, as Cass physically crumples beside him. “I know it’s sudden, but I don’t think Cass is doing all this to upset you, she just-”

“Eugene, do you still have feelings for Lance?” Rapunzel asks suddenly, spinning to face him. “Because you were  _ very  _ worked up about that first kiss.”

Eugene stares at her, gaping slightly. “You… you can’t… I mean…”

Wordlessly Rapunzel holds up her next card - the ace of hearts.

“I’m not upset over it,” she says, a little more gently. “But I think you need to be honest with yourself.”

Eugene glances between her and Lance, who looks as though he wishes he could dissolve into the floor right about now, and he stubbornly reaches for the bottle.

“And you’re deflecting,” he mutters.

“Y’know what, I think things have gotten out of hand,” Cass jumps in, and she hastily reaches to snatch up the remaining hands of cards. “Things never used to be like this, did they? On the road, I mean. So let’s just… calm down. I can’t remember a time when things became  _ this _ uncomfortable.”

“Well, that’s not quite true, is it? After the incident at the great tree-” Rapunzel begins without thinking, only to cut herself off a beat too late. Even from the corner of her eye, it’s impossible to miss the pained expression on Cassandra’s face, nor the uncomfortable looks Eugene and Lance exchange, their previous awkwardness forgotten in the face of this latest blunder. She spins to face her wife, panicked. “Cassandra, no, I didn’t mean to…”

A fat raindrop hits the top of her head.

Accompanied by another, and another.

Within seconds it’s like the heavens themselves opened up on them, emptying bucket upon bucket of rainfall. When had the clouds rolled in? Were they really so preoccupied with their quarrelling that they’d somehow missed something as crucial as this?!

The campfire is extinguished in under a minute, and the group scramble to try and collect up their belongings as they get soaked through. Or, the other three do. Rapunzel stands there, feeling so overcome with something… devastating, from the fallout of the conversation.

Their nights under the stars, sitting beside the caravan and listening to the crickets, feel so far away now she could cry.

“What should we do?!” Cass yells over the din of the rain. Lance points towards the Baron’s former residence, using a saturated blanket as a feeble attempt to shield from the downpour.

“Let’s wait out the storm in there!” he bellows, beckoning for them to follow. The trio rush towards the house, Rapunzel trailing behind in a miserable trance.

It takes a few attempts to kick in the back door, but finally they skid into the dark house, throwing down their gear in a huff.

Panting from the effort of breaking in, the group takes a moment to catch their breath.

Rapunzel pushes wet hair from her eyes and peers around at the group. Now that they’re all out of the line of fire, Eugene finds himself unable to look at either herself or Lance, busying himself with wringing water out of his shirt. Lance looks mildly uncomfortable, but also… thoughtful. And Cass…

Well.

Cassandra won’t even look at her.

Rapunzel opens her mouth to speak, when suddenly a set of heavy oak doors at the far end of the room burst open, and torchlight floods the hallway.

“Stop! You’re under arrest for illegal trespassing!” A shrill voice, unmistakably Pete’s, snarls. Squinting, Rapunzel’s eyes adjust to the sudden influx of light and comes to realise with a jolt that they're being greeted with several swords pointed directly at them.

Eugene smacks his forehead, cursing loudly.

“Wait, wait, we can explain-” Cass begins.

“We were informed by our captain about an illegal gathering in the North Woods, and after failing to hear back from him, we thought we’d investigate ourselves,” another voice cuts in.

Eugene groans loudly.

“Stan, Pete, it’s me. Us. All of us, we’re the gathering,” Eugene groans. The swords lower slightly and both Stan and Pete squint at them.

“Euge - I mean, Captain? I don’t understand.”

“Look, the thing is-”

“The thing is,” Lance cuts in, clamping a hand on Eugene’s shoulder, “is we were investigating, and we managed to chase off the intruders, but as we did, it… started to rain. Right, Eugene?”

He stares pointedly at him, but Eugene seems a little distracted by the physical contact and makes a gargled sound in response. Lance rolls his eyes and removes his hand.

“This is mortifying,” Cass mutters, pinching the bridge of her nose.

“The situation is handled,” Rapunzel says firmly, seeing as nobody else is doing much to reassure the guards. “Now, I don’t know about everybody else, but I’m more than ready to head on home.”

The others stare down at their soaked through outdoor bedding and mutely nod in agreement. The guards call over their horses, and Lance approaches Cassandra and says something to her in a low voice, glancing up at Rapunzel. Cassandra’s shoulders tense, a sure sign that she’s uncomfortable with whatever he’s suggested to her, and her eyes meet Rapunzel’s for a moment before quickly looking away.

Geez. The unfortunate miscommunications, at least, are authentic to their days on the road.

She leans into Eugene as he glances out of the window at the stormy weather outside.

“You know, none of this would have happened,” sighs Eugene over deafening rainfall, “if we’d just gone to the lesbian lagoon when I suggested it.”

…

“So,” King Frederic says, scrutinising the four of them in dismay, “what on earth were the four of you doing all the way in the north woods?”

Rapunzel figures it’s a little ridiculous, being delivered to her father by a small army of dishevelled guards, looking like a drowned rat, while their captain shivers just as pathetically beside her. They’d graciously agreed during the journey home that the king didn’t need to know the exact details, to the utmost gratitude of their captain, but it still hasn’t kept the entire scenario from seeming suspicious to say the least.

Cass and Lance exchange concerned looks, no doubt trying to cook up an explanation for their peculiar adventure without incriminating themselves, when Rapunzel opens her mouth first.

“We got lost,” blurts out Rapunzel.

Frederic raises his eyebrows.

“Lost,” he repeats.

“Lost,” Eugene echoes solemnly. “In the woods.”

“Lost in the woods,” Cass agrees.

“All of you?” Frederic asks suspiciously, glancing between the four of them. “Not one of you thought to bring along a map or a compass or use trail markers?”

“We forgot,” Lance says helpfully.

“Even with both a star navigator and cartographer among you?” Frederic goes on, watching Rapunzel and Cassandra pointedly. Cass looks away sheepishly and Rapunzel steps forward and stands on tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek.

“It won’t happen again?” she tries, sweetly as can be. He gives a long sigh.

“It better not. Now, run on inside. Your mother had tea sent to the parlour room, you can all warm up in there.”

She squeezes his arm gratefully and motions for the rest of the group to follow.

“Nice one, Sunshine,” Eugene mutters, nudging her arm appreciatively. She gives him a quick smile and shrugs.

“When in doubt, I always try to appeal to his better nature, that’s all.” After a pause, she asks, “Are you going to talk to Lance?”

He stiffens beside her. “Do I have to?”

“I think you should try to clear the air with each other. No matter where that conversation leads.”

Eugene sighs heavily and pushes back his hair. “I’m not very subtle anymore, am I?”

Rapunzel just fixes him with an exasperated look, and he blushes, before moving to catch up with Lance a few paces ahead.

Well. At least the two of them will get some kind of closure after all this.

She’s so busy watching their muted body language, trying to figure out the words being said between them, that she doesn’t even notice Cass siding up to her until she hesitantly speaks up.

“Rapunzel, can we talk about what happened in the woods?”

“Cass, I’m kind of tired,” Rapunzel begins curtly, staring straight ahead as her heart drums away. She doesn’t know why she’s acting like this. She knows she’s right to be frustrated at Cass deciding to depart tomorrow without even telling her yet, but maybe she’s blowing it all out of proportion? Nobody else seems to see it as a big deal.

No - that’s not quite it. They haven’t seen  _ any  _ of tonight’s revelations as a big deal, until getting soaked to their skins. The trespassing, the invasive questions, keeping things hidden that should have  _ always  _ been out in the open… it’s like Rapunzel’s the only one to find disappointment in that nothing feels like it used to.

“Please.” There’s a note of urgency in that word, and as easily as that, Rapunzel folds. She always does, when Cass fixes her with that pleading expression.

“I didn’t mean to bring up the great tree,” Rapunzel says quietly, willing herself to meet Cass’s eyes. “I mean that. I wouldn’t… I wouldn’t throw that in your face on purpose, Cass, I swear to you.”

Cass nods. “I know that.”

“My emotions were running a little high, but I didn’t mean it in that way, I was just…” She runs her hands through her hair in frustration. “Nothing’s ever going to be the same as it was, is it?”

Now Cassandra tilts her head slightly, lips pursing in puzzlement.

“Wait, what do you mean, nothing’s going to be the same? I’m not going  _ forever. _ I’ll be back again and again for as long as you’ll have me, like some kind of stray.” She laughs a little at that, but it’s a nervous laugh, begging for Rapunzel to elaborate.

“First of all, you’re never a stray, you’re my wife. My family,” Rapunzel insists with a frown. She sighs and adds petulantly, “It’s… all of us. Things keep changing. The whole meaning of this night was to, I don’t know, relive our caravan days, but things got weird so fast.”

“For the record, I blame the card game,” Cass mutters, falling into step with Rapunzel as her steps quicken, heightened by her brain turning.

“It’s not just that. It was everything. Something felt off right from the start, but when we started fighting, I just - I just realised it. I was expecting it to be exactly how it was, and why? I love the life we have now. We’re all doing great. And I know those months on the road had some great moments, but you were  _ unhappy  _ deep down, so… shouldn’t tonight have felt better?”

Cassandra watches her wordlessly. Rapunzel’s brow furrows and she folds her arms. “I don’t even understand it myself, Cass.”

With a small sigh, Cass steps closer and gingerly moves to slide an arm around her waist, pulling her in close.

“You were just nostalgic for times that are behind us,” she acknowledges, with a small smile. “But you’re right, things are different now. It doesn’t make you weird for wanting things to be like they were, for a little while.”

“Guess I had it in my head that we were still the same people we were back then,” Rapunzel admits. “But we’re not. We’re better than we were, but… the evening fell apart fast, didn’t it?”

“Yeah, it was a weird one,” Cass agrees. “But there will be other nights. Maybe we can go camping properly next time, instead of some dumb squatting on the Baron’s property, huh?”

Rapunzel nods, relief flooding her. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Cass’s smile fades a little, and she looks down at her feet.

“Listen Raps, I am sorry for what happened,” she says with a frown. “I know I should have told you. Look, I don’t have to get on that ferry tomorrow. I was looking at it as a convenient thing, but I should really know by now that I’m  _ missed  _ when I go.”

“You are,” Rapunzel reiterates, leaning into her touch. “Cass, I can handle you leaving, I just wish you gave me some more time to prepare for it.”

Cassandra is silent for a few moments, on the verge of broaching a question she’s uncertain of, before speaking up.

“Well… Would it be selfish if I asked you to come with me?” Cass asks hesitantly. “The ferry would take a couple days to arrive, but it would return to Corona soon enough. If you wanted to spend a few days away with me, I mean.”

Rapunzel’s eyes widen and she stops in her tracks. “You want me to come along?”

“It’s selfish, I know,” Cass says quickly, already preparing to backtrack. “I know you’re probably busy. I… maybe I shouldn’t have offered.”

“Hey, no. Look at me.” Rapunzel stands on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to Cassandra’s lips, uncaring that her father stands only a few paces behind them. “I’d love to go. For you, I can  _ always  _ make some time.”

Cassandra’s face splits into a grin, and she hugs Rapunzel tightly. “I love you,” she says to her ear. As she pulls back, her face falls a little. “What about Eugene?”

Rapunzel shrugs and nods her head to where Eugene and Lance walk a few paces ahead, talking quietly amongst themselves. “I don’t think he’ll be  _ too  _ lonely while I’m gone, do you?”

“Shit, I guess not. Those two seem to have some stuff to talk about,” Cass agrees. She glances over at Rapunzel. “Who’d have thought  _ you’d _ be the one sharing?”

Rapunzel laughs and shakes her head slightly. “Hey, we don’t know anything yet, it’s early days. And it’s rude to speculate. But… I’m sure things will be much clearer by the time I return. They just need some breathing room to, you know, figure things out.”

“Yeah. Well, they know we have their backs, no matter what they decide.”

Cass reaches down, entwining their fingers.

Arianna greets the group at the door, eyeing their windswept appearances dubiously, and offering to bring some blankets and add more fuel to the fireplace.

“So, tell me the story,” Arianna says with exasperated fondness, as Frederic pulls the heavy oak doors shut behind them. “What did you four get up to this evening?”

“Didn’t you hear?” Frederic calls, with equal tiredness. “They got lost.”

“Lost, huh?” Arianna asks, giving Rapunzel a knowing look. “Must have been a harrowing experience.”

“Oh, it was,” Eugene sighs dramatically, flopping down onto the chaise lounge with enough theatrics that one would assume he’d mistaken it for a fainting couch. Lance perches down on the floor beside him, shaking his head in amusement. “Totally harrowing. Recovery is unlikely. Only hot cocoa might dispel the horrors of tonight…”

“Is that so?” Arianna says dryly. “Well, unfortunately we have tea, so I suppose your only option is to remain traumatised for the night?”

“Tea also works,” he says quickly, sitting upright again. Cass wordlessly reaches to hand him a cup and he grins at her in thanks.

“Well,” the queen says after a few moments, “I’m glad you got back safely.”

Arianna reaches to cup her daughter’s cheek and Rapunzel leans into her touch, dithering happily. Her eyelids slowly begin to droop, as she survey the scene around her; her mother, lovingly holding her close, while mildly entertaining Eugene’s story as he makes up some exaggerated tale of their outdoor escapade; Lance watching him fondly, occasionally interjecting either to back up his claims or rebuke them with some explanation even more absurd; Cassandra, still passing around cups of tea, while Frederic engages her in some mild conversation about where she and Rapunzel are headed next, all while insisting they keep in touch while they're gone.

Her family are all here, with no tension between them, and perhaps for the first time in a long time. She spent all evening feeling perplexed about what had changed, but seeing it all in perspective now...

Rapunzel feels weightless, and her eyes slip shut.

As far as adventures go, it turns out coming home to a room full of loving faces was the most rewarding quest of them all.

“You know, getting lost in the woods wasn't so bad after all,” she murmurs sleepily, only to be met with her mother’s soft laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> doth the tangled polyamory web grow even more tangled...? yes, because i said so. sometimes your otp that became an ot3 accidentally becomes an ot4, what are you gonna do??  
> anyway, see you in a few days for lance appreciation week!! thank u for tuning in to this fic that was supposed to be finished back in october!!!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm super busy with work so don't expect these to be quality in any way, I'm just having fun. Feel free to comment if you enjoyed it though!


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